7 Souls: Determination
by Pep Pizza
Summary: [Undertale] Sequel to 7 Souls, Frisk resets, only to acquire amnesia! And who better to greet her on this run than good ol' Chara? If this problem keeps up, how will Frisk ever save everyone, if she can't even save herself? And yeah, if you're new, you may want to read the first one first. Find it on my profile. (Titled: 7 Souls)
1. The Fallen Child

**Like the description says, if you haven't read the first one yet, go do that first. It's on my profile page, simply called _7 Souls._**

* * *

I cracked my eyes open, and found myself free-falling in the air. I didn't know where I was, what I was doing. Why was I in the air, with nothing to hold onto, and with nothing under for me to land safely on, and just me falling alone in a wide expanse of nothing?!

It was then that I realized. I was going to fall to my death.

Screaming and waving my arms around, I felt the backpack slip off my shoulders.

* * *

 _Ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow…_

I groaned as I felt my bones creak and my bruised skin stretch. My head throbbed, and I held it in my hands, trying to keep it from exploding. Where was I? What happened to me? Why was I lying in a… patch of yellow flowers? How had I gotten here? Looking up, I saw a huge hole looming above me. And up there, I saw the sky. How had I gotten down here? Had I _fallen_?!

Everything hurt; my back, my arms and legs, and especially my head. I carefully threaded my fingers through my hair before feeling a bump in a little spot above the back of my head. Ouch. I must've fallen pretty hard to get a nasty thing like that. I tried to get in a better position to feel just how big it was, but the plan failed when my back started to practically scream in agony. After that, I just stopped moving.

I was still trying to figure out where I was and what I was doing. How had I ended up here? I didn't remember getting here… had I jumped? Had I tried to suicide? From what? I thought harder, trying to remember my family… if I even had one. Did I have a family? Did I have siblings? Where was I born? I continued to rack my head for answers, but found none.

But then I thought of a question that I was _sure_ I knew the answer to. My name. But after a few moments of blinking, I realized I couldn't remember that either. Panic started to seize me as I realized the fact that I remembered _nothing._ Had something happened to me? Did I hit my head too hard? Did I get a _concussion?_

 _Why hello._ A ghostly figure suddenly appeared before me, and then I _knew_ I was crazy. It was a girl in a green sweatshirt, and a single yellow stripe was traced upon it. She had short brown hair, with with cute bangs covering part of her eyes. Her smile was gentle, but mischievous. _I see you have fallen, partner._

I blinked at her once. Twice. She was slightly transparent and floating, like a real ghost. Maybe she _was_ a ghost. Suddenly, I shook my head frantically, turning away and shutting my eyes closed. This wasn't real, it _couldn't_ be. This was impossible. I was hallucinating, that was all.

A moment later, I reopened my eyes. She was still there, staring at me expectantly. _Well, how are you?_ Her voice was curious, but unamused at the same time.

"I-I'm…" I wanted to back away, but my body protested. "Y-you're not real! _This_ isn't real!" I shut my eyes closed again, trying to block out these strange things appearing before me.

"Howdy! I'm Flowey." Snapping an eye open, I found another shape in front of me. It was a big flower with yellow petals. How had it gotten there? The voice was loud and squeaky, like a kid's. "Flowey the Flower!"

It took me a moment to realize that the voice was coming directly from the flower itself. Upon closer inspection, I could see it had face features, like a mouth and eyes. It was a live, talking flower! Shock spreading across my face, I turned around and saw the girl still floating there. There was an unamused expression on her face. _Oh great, it's him._

"What do you mean?" I asked her, but she didn't respond, as her gaze was still fixed on the flower. Feeling uncertain, I finally managed to get myself up to a sitting position. What in the world was happening?

Seeming oblivious to the transparent girl and my comment, the flower continued to spout nonsense at me. "Hm… you're new to the underground, arnet'cha? Golly, you must be so confused."

After a moment of confusion, I slowly nodded my head. Everything was definitely strange, but… maybe this flower could help sort things out? It certainly seemed to have good intentions, and looked harmless enough.

"Someone ought to teach you how things work around down here." Flowey waved his little leaves around, seeming excited. He still hadn't noticed the girl. Or maybe only I could see her? That would just prove even further that something was seriously wrong with me.

 _Don't trust him._ The girl whispered to me in a warning tone. _You can't trust anyone down here._ I blinked at her, suddenly unsure. Flowey hadn't done anything bad to me yet. How was I supposed to know who to trust?

"I guess little old me will have to do." Flowey took a deep breath. "Ready? Here we go!"

Suddenly, the strangest thing happened. A red heart flew straight out of my chest, and I couldn't help gasping at the sight of it. It was just so _pretty_. There was a beauty to it that I couldn't describe, like the rich redness of it and how it seemed to brim with energy. What was this thing? And had it come out of me?

Then suddenly, I felt gravity falling away, and I rose into the air. I could barely stifle a gasp. How was I flying? It was… so cool! I waved my arms around experimentally. I was pretty sure I looked like a wacky chicken.

"See that heart?" Flowey beckoned to the amazing shape before me. "That is your soul, the very culmination of your being!"

 _My soul?_ I stared at it, a little awed in spite of myself. This beautiful thing belonged to me? Was it also the reason I was flying?

But if it really was my soul, and if it really was made up of everything I was… then wasn't it a little too exposed?

"Your soul starts off weak." Flowey continued cheerily, "But can grow strong if you gain a lot of LV!"

"Level?" I frowned, trying to think. That didn't make any sense. Level was a video game term, not something that happened in real life. My eyes widened when I realized I had a faint understanding on how video games worked. So that was something I could remember. I liked video games. Or at least, I was familiar with it. Maybe staying with this flower would help to recover some my memories.

"What's LV stand for?" Flowey gave me a smug look. "Why, _love_ , of course!" He said it like it was obvious, and it made me feel kind of stupid. (I mean… it wasn't _that_ obvious, right?) Of course video game terms wouldn't be referred to in real life. Unless this was all really just a stupid dream or hallucination?...

"...huh." I could only answer. The ghostly girl shook her head at me, probably with displeasure.

"You want some love, don't you?" The flower stuck out his tongue playfully. I had _no idea_ that flowers had tongues. "Don't worry, I'll share some with you." And just like that, little white pellet-shaped items rose up from behind the flower. They spun around teasingly, and I wondered how he managed to keep them up like that. Was the flower _magical_? That surely couldn't be the reason. Magic wasn't real.

"Down here, love is shared through…" He seemed to be thinking as his face scrunched up. "Little white… 'friendliness pellets.'"

"How are you doing that?" I finally asked, curiosity making the best of me.

His face showed confusion. "Doing what?" I pointed to the flying pellets, and the flower gave me a displeased look. "Curiosity killed the cat." He responded simply before shrugging his leaves. I noted that he still hadn't answered my question. "Are you ready?" The pellets slowly started to move in my direction. "Move around! Get as many as you can!"

I didn't really have to move. The pellets were already heading in my direction on their own. I was about to reach for them, but the girl started to wave her arms wildly around. Focused on her, I turned my head, and all the pellets rushed right past my head, embedding themselves into the wall behind me.

Surprised that the pellets actually managed to miss me, I turned to a very unamused Flowey. "Hey buddy. Ya missed them."

"S-sorry!" I pointed a glare at the girl. It was her fault she distracted me.

"Let's try again, shall we?" A brand new row of pellets appeared, and this time when they came to me, I firmly reached my hand out, ignoring the ghostly girl completely. I wasn't going to waste Flowey's friendliness pellets again through something as stupid as-

Pain raced through my arm and I hissed, immediately retracting it back to my chest. The pain was hot and furious, and I could feel it slowly spread through all my limbs. I gritted my teeth and tried to suppress it, sending a desperate glance towards the girl. But she was still staring at the flower.

What had the pain come from? Was it from the _pellets?_

I turned back to Flowey and was faced with the most horrid face I had ever seen in my life. (But maybe not, since I may have seen worse in my past life) His eyes were dark, and a maniacal grin spread across his face, showing white teeth. Had he _betrayed_ me? This was what I got for trusting random talking flowers.

"You _idiot_." He grinned mischievously at my shocked expression. "In this world, it's kill or _be_ killed. Why would anyone pass up an opportunity like this?" He laughed as a whole circle of pellets surrounded me, spinning around in a teasing manner. The pain was still throbbing in my arm, and I could feel myself starting to panic. I couldn't avoid all those pellets in the state I was in. And if just a couple could hurt this bad… how much would a whole bunch of them feel like?

Obviously, I couldn't let them get to me. But I was in no state to move away. "DIE." Flowey laughed as the pellets started to come closer to me, but very slowly. He was trying to scare me, to make me panic. I couldn't afford for that to happen.

I still had one hope left. Swerving my head around, I faced the girl. She was still there, floating eerily. If only I had just trusted her before, then I wouldn't have fell for Flowey's lies. Could she help me out in this predicament?

The girl finally seemed to notice my desperate expression. After a second, she pointed next to me. And when I turned, I found a backpack. There was no time to question how it got there. I needed to act fast. Snatching my hand forward, I grasped onto a strap and swung it towards the pellets. Surprisingly, it worked. Although the pellets didn't quite seem to bounce off or embed into the backpack. They just kinda… disappeared.

The flower gave me a disbelieving look. "W-what?"

The girl quickly flew next to me, and motioned her index finger up before pointing at the flower. Understanding, I lifted the backpack high in the air with my unhurt arm. Feeling strength fill me, I flung it at the flower.

The last I saw of Flowey just before he got squashed by the backpack was his angry face of revenge. Once the dust had settled, he was gone. The soul returned to my chest, and although I was sad to see it go, I felt whole again.

I dropped back to the ground and turned to the girl, giving her a grateful look. There was no way I could've done that on my own. She had helped to give me strength. "Thanks." I mumbled.

 _You okay?_ She asked.

I nodded, turning my head downwards to stare at the ground. I just needed some time to gather my thoughts, now that the murderous flower was finally gone. I took a deep breath, and tried to think sensibly.

Uh… yeah. This was just a really weird dream, and nothing more. Ghosts and talking flowers weren't real. These were all just hallucinations or something. Or maybe I was just dreaming. Who knew? Perhaps I just needed some rest, and then I would be fine. Perfectly fine… and hopefully, things would go back to normal. Nodding to myself, I dropped back into the bed of flowers. They were rather soft, more comfortable to lay on than I would've imagined.

The girl was giving me a curious look, but I ignored her. Taking a deep breath, I closed my eyelids and went to sleep.

* * *

The sky was dark with the bringing of night.

The back of my head still hurt. I sat up and inspected my surroundings, noting that I was still in the cave. I sighed, a little despondent. Apparently, it _wasn't_ just a dream. At least no flowers came to murder me in my sleep. And I was feeling better. A _lot_ better, somehow. I cracked a few of my joints to warm up.

Looking around some more, I found the same girl from before sitting next to me. She was staring at me intently, which was kinda creepy.

"Uh…" I hurried to find the rights words, but ended up blurting, "How long have you been sitting there?"

She ignored my question. _How much do you remember?_ She asked instead.

I frowned. "Not much. I think I may have amnesia." I sighed. "Actually, I was hoping you could help me. But… I don't even know your name. Could you perhaps… tell me?"

She smiled before answering with a simple, "Chara."

"Chara." I repeated. The name felt funny in my mouth, like I should've recognized it, but didn't. "That's a nice name. My name is-" I stopped when I remembered that I couldn't remember my name. The thought brought a pout upon my face.

 _You can't remember your name?_ I nodded sorrowfully to her question. _Then for the time being, your name will be Frisk. You okay with that?_

I blinked at her for a few moments, thinking. I felt doubtful, but I was too excited from earning a name to be like so. I quickly nodded my head to the suggestion. Frisk. That was a good name. "Frisk." I repeated, the word feeling familiar in my mouth. Like it belonged there. Was it possible that this was my real name?

 _Good. Now we need to move along._ I raised an eyebrow at her. Y _es, we have to keep going. No matter how dangerous this place is. It's the only way out. You do want to get home, don't you?_

"Shouldn't I try to regain my memories?" I asked, unsure.

 _You'll regain them on the way._ Chara answered dismissively. _But just remember, Frisk, that I'm here to help you. If you follow exactly what I say, there's no doubt that you will stay perfectly safe, okay?_

After the slightest moment of uncertainty, I nodded my head. She was someone I could trust, I knew. She had already proven herself to me. Smiling for the first time, I grabbed the backpack before following Chara's ghostly figure out the cave from where I had first fallen.

* * *

 **And with the bringing of summer brings more updates!**

 **...and a genocide route.**

 **Let's just say I'm glad to be back**. :)


	2. Learning

"You can't trust anyone down here." Chara said, whereas before, she had been speaking in my mind. "All monsters are not to be trusted. You can only trust your own kind to survive."

I nodded in understanding. My approach with Flowey had taught me that much, at least. At my sign of agreement, Chara grinned in a satisfied way before leading me into the next room.

It was beautiful. The entire ceiling and walls were lined with purple bricks, and vines grew everywhere into pretty patterns. The place almost looked ancient, and gave off a feeling of mystery. The shadow of the Ruins loomed before me, and I was filled with Determination.

Wait, the _Ruins_? I suddenly felt like I was supposed to remember something, but couldn't quite grasp it. Chara noticed my sudden stop, and turned around to give me an expression of suspicion. "Is something the matter?"

"I just feel like I'm supposed to remember something…" I stood still a bit longer, trying to grasp the feeling. Chara stared at me, and I could tell she was a bit fidgety. I was too concentrated to figure out why.

I tried my hardest to remember, but after a while, it just slipped away. I sighed, shaking my head in disappointment. Chara could only smile wearily back at me before she turned around and continued forwards again. I followed.

Chara continued up a flight of marble stairs, but I couldn't help noticing the colorful leaf pile close by. It took all my control to not jump into one of those. I didn't want to look too childish in front of Chara, my new friend.

Wanting to make conversation, I decided to comment on her clothing choice. "Nice sweatshirt." I complimented her. The color scheme of green and yellow really went together.

She turned back with a smirk on her face. "I could say the same for you."

Blinking, I stared down at my clothes and realized I was wearing jeans and a sweatshirt as well. Not to mention it had stripes too. However, the color scheme was duller, with magenta and a light blue. Not as bright and cheery as the green and yellow of Chara's.

We entered through another room, where there were a couple of grey buttons to the side. Chara ignored them, so I did too. The door was wide open, and we passed through into another purple hall. There were bridges and rivers, and I stared in amazement as I continued to follow Chara.

We were out of the hall now, and there was now a single training dummy in the middle of the new room. It was just a simple one, peach-colored, and a shape that slightly resembled a deformed human. Chara headed towards it and beckoned to me to come forward. Confused, I did as she instructed.

"While passing through the Underground, monsters will attack you. You will have to be prepared for the situation."

I gulped. "What do you mean?"

Chara waved her hand around as she talked. "When you see a monster, you will enter a fight and your soul will be drawn out. Like that approach with Flowey. When this happens, all you have to do is avoid their attacks. And after that, kill them."

I blinked for a few moments, taking the information in. "Wait, _what_?"

Chara shrugged and motioned to the training dummy. "You get to practice on the dummy. Lucky you."

I gulped, not wanting to disappoint Chara, especially not after I had just started to work with them. Nodding uneasily, I approached the dummy, and my soul was drawn out of my body again. It was nice to see it again. Feeling unsteady, I felt myself rise into the air.

After figuring out my balance, Chara spoke to me again. "First off, you need to learn how to control your soul so that you can avoid attacks."

"The dummy's going to attack me?!"

" _No._ " Chara shook her head, sighing in exasperation. "No, he's not. But you need to be prepared for when someone _does_ attack you."

"Ok."

"Great. Now all you have to do is concentrate on your soul and order it to go a certain direction, and you will automatically fly that way. Okay? Try it."

Nodding, I focused on moving my soul. Surprisingly, it obeyed easily. _Too_ easily. I was so unprepared by the precision that I almost flew straight into a wall. Luckily, I stopped myself just in time.

"Now, you just have to attack. Here." Chara reached behind her back and pulled out a stick. The familiarity of it struck me hard, but I couldn't remember where it had come from. Chara tossed the stick into the air, and I barely managed to catch it. I was pretty clumsy. "Attack the dummy with this."

Eyeing the stick skeptically, I approached the dummy and swung it as hard as I could. To my utter surprise, the stick didn't bend at all, and the dummy immediately turned to dust. I had successfully hurt it… and _killed_ it in the process? _How_ had that happened? Matter couldn't suddenly shrink in on itself and just turn to dust like _that_ , unless it was exposed to fire or something.

Staying completely still, the soul retraced back into my body, and I continued to stare at the pile of dust. It was like real dust, but grainier like sand. I could feel my gut wrenching, and I realized that I didn't like to fight. Just the idea of it made me feel sick.

"Good job." Chara smiled at me, and staring at her expression, I decided it was worth it. As long as it pleased Chara, then maybe things would be fine. "You learn quick. That's good. There's no place for mercy down here. If you don't learn, then you die."

I frowned at her. "Then is what Flowey said true?"

Chara wiggled her eyebrows. "That's the only thing that dumb flower has done correctly. He knows the rules of the underground. And you should too. Come now." She left the room, and casting one last look at the pile of dust, I followed her.

"There's another puzzle in this room." Chara informed me before giving me an amused smile. "Do you want me to give away the answer?

"No!" I had to prove myself to Chara.

"Ok then."

I nodded, and trying to feel confident, I marched ahead of her, only to be immediately approached by a monster that very greatly resembled a frog. There was something creepy under it, but I didn't have time to observe it. Who knew my lessons would have to come to use so quickly?

My soul was drawn out, and I felt myself panicking. Chara waved reassuringly at me from below, and her gaze calmed me down. Taking a deep breath, I swung my stick at the frog with full force.

I missed. My aim was off. Immediately afterward, I could feel myself burning with embarrassment. The enemy had been right in front of me, and I had missed it. The frog croaked in a displeased way, but I didn't give it a moment to think before I swung the stick again. This time, it hit. After a yelp, it turned straight into dust, leaving behind a pile of tiny gold coins.

I could feel myself breathing heavily, even though basically nothing had happened. The death was so quick, I didn't even have time to process it. It had been so… easy. Much easier than I had expected. I had expected the frog to put up a fight, but there wasn't even any of that. Had I done the right thing?

"Money?" I frowned, trying to ignore the fresh layer of dust that was now coating the stick. Just looking at it made me sick. This felt wrong. I quickly reassured myself that it wasn't my fault. That if I hadn't attacked, then the monster would've killed me. But just thinking about how small and harmless it looked made me regret my actions even more. Sighing, I drifted back to the ground as my soul came back.

"Gold. It's the currency." Chara gestured helpfully. "Go on ahead, take them! They're all yours."

I frowned again. "Is it right… to take other people's money?" Why was a frog carrying money anyway? Maybe it was stealing it. Then that could justify my actions of killing it. Probably. I could feel myself frowning, once I realized I was just making excuses for myself.

"Is it right to leave a bunch of free gold lying around?" Chara shrugged. "I don't know, but if you want to waste money for no reason…"

After a moment, I nodded. Chara was right. Of course she was right. She was the more experienced one here, after all. I took the gold into my hands and stashed them away into my pocket. They were small and light, easy to hold. Trying to calm my shaking hands, I moved on past a sign that I didn't bother reading.

Ahead of us was now a bridge of deadly spikes. I could feel dread filling me again at the daunting puzzle that lay before me.

Chara grinned at my expression. "Still want to solve it on your own?"

I shook my head, feeling tired. After killing something, I didn't really have the energy to figure this stuff out as well. It all felt like too much.

"You know, I could just tell you the answer, but I think you'd be too paranoid to follow my instructions." Her eyes glinted. "However, I have a better idea."

I raised my eyebrow curiously. "What?"

"You can let me control you."

I could feel my eyes widening. " _What?_ "

"You can let me control you." Chara repeated.

"No, I mean… _how_?"

"Just give me passage to do so when I try to take control. I can help you cross this bridge, but only if I get the consent to."

"Consent?" I repeated, feeling slightly flabbergasted.

"Do I have to repeat myself again?" Chara groaned.

I quickly shook my head. "I just don't get how you can control me. I just have to let you do it and you can?" Chara nodded. "And I have no control over myself whatsoever?"

"You know, you _could_ just let me control you right now, and figure out all the details as it happens." At my face of doubt, she added, "Don't worry, it'll be quick."

I frowned at her and faced the spikes again. They were not appealing. If Chara could just control me for a moment to allow me to cross, then things would be quicker and easier. But after a moment, I shook my head. "No thanks. I-I think I can manage for now." The idea of being controlled was still a little unsettling.

Chara gave me a displeased look. "Fine then. Suit yourself."

I sighed in relief before listening to Chara as she gave me instructions to cross the bridge. I could see what she meant by me becoming paranoid. She literally told me to walk right on the spikes, and that was something I was not looking forward to.

But to my surprise, the spikes would always retract before I even stepped on them!

"Now move left." Chara told me. As I did, I noticed how she seemed to be flying right above the spikes, so she was practically avoiding them without even meaning too. Lucky duck.

After a few more left and right turns that formed a kind of zig zag pattern, I finally made it to the end. "We made it!" I celebrated.

"You've done excellent." Chara noted approvingly, "However, there is one more thing I must test you on before I know that you understand the rules of the Underground."

I frowned at her, mainly because I was upset about the fact that she didn't think I was good enough to survive on my own. "Well, what is it?"

"Walk to the end of this room by yourself." Chara instructed me. "Just remember, you can't trust _anyone_ down here. Don't fall for anyone's lies. They'll all betray you in the end. After all, in this world…" Chara paused, staring at me expectantly.

It took me a moment to realize that she was waiting for me to continue the statement for her. "...it's kill or be killed."

"Right on. I'll be waiting for you at the end." Chara gave me one last look before disappearing right in front of me, like a ghost.

I wasn't sure how to act. Should I follow what she said and move on, or dismiss that as my hallucinations finally going away? After a moment, I decided to go ahead. There would be no harm to it anyway.

I moved my feet down the hall, examining the purple walls and green vine shoots. Where were they growing from? After getting bored of seeing the same wall over and over again, I moved my gaze to the path below me. It moved in a kind of wavy pattern, almost like someone had tried painting it straight but ended up messing up really badly.

I was so busy examining the ground that I almost bumped into a big white thing. Looking up, I realized what I was facing. A big, white goat-monster was standing before me, giving me an eerie smile. Her dress was the color of the Ruins, dark and mysterious. Feeling afraid and hearing Chara's advice echoing in my brain, I took a step back.

Seeing my frightened expression, the goat monster said in a lady's voice, "Ah, do not be afraid, my child."

 _Don't fall for anyone's lies. They'll all betray you in the end._ Chara's reminder was all over the place, and my whole body was screaming to run away from this big, scary goat monster. Was it going to eat me? Was it trying to sound nice just to goad me in before killing me?

My whole body shuddered as she continued in the same nice tone, "I am Toriel, caretaker of the-"

Before she could even finish the sentence, I had dashed right past her and through the doorway. I had to get away while she was busy talking. It was my only hope to run away.

Right outside the doorway was a nearby leaf pile. With no time to think, I quickly jumped in. Thankfully, there was enough to hide my whole body. Staying still, I heard the thumping of paw steps as they approached my leaf pile. I held my breath, waiting.

"Child? Child, please come back! It is dangerous to travel the Ruins alone!" I shut my eyes, waiting for the monster to go away. After a few more thudding noises, all that was left was silence. The scary monster was gone. I took a deep breath of relief, knowing I was now safe.

"Howdy." Feeling my skin prickle, I turned my head to find Chara hiding in the leaves with me. "Don't worry, I didn't leave you. I was just in this leaf pile the whole time."

I blinked at her. "Was that the test?"

"Yes. Although the result wasn't what I expected."

"Did I pass?" I asked hopefully.

Chara raised her eyebrow. "Sure, I guess. But next time, just kill the darned thing. Why'd you run away, anyway?"

"I…" I found myself trying to think up an excuse, just not to worry Chara. "I was scared."

"Well, we can work on that." Chara got up from the leaves, and I followed suit, rustling the colorful leaves around me. I smiled at their crunchiness, and grabbed a couple handfuls just to squash them. I couldn't help staring at them, and wondering where they all came from. There hadn't been any trees around, exactly.

Chara grinned at me. _Playfully crinkling through the leaves fills you with determination._

I grinned back at her and looked around, making sure that the white monster was gone. When I felt secure, I brushed the leaves off and continued on, passing even more piles of colorful goodness. Chara floated next to me, seeming undistracted by the wonders. Maybe she had already been here before, and already seen all the sights before.

Then suddenly, an insect monster darted in front of me, flapping its pitiful wings and giving me a hopeless look. Feeling slightly afraid of this monster despite its bleak outlook, I quickly swung my stick across his front, leaving a small red gash. In the next moment, he turned to dust, leaving behind another pile of coins.

Blinking at the quickness of the battle, I grabbed the coins and quickly pocketed them. Chara gave me a pleased look, and I tried my best to ignore the dust. After all, what was done was done, and there was no going back. I just had to keep moving forward.

A few steps later, the same monster flew in front of me again, and I mercilessly swung down on it. More dust, more coins. This was starting to feel more like a routine. I could deal with it, I could manage.

"That's right." Chara told me. "The more monsters you defeat, the stronger you become." I could only nod uneasily in response.

Ahead, there were a couple of cracks in the ground. I was uncertain about stepping on them. Feeling unsure, I turned my head to face Chara with a questioning gaze. She looked back with curiosity, but said nothing.

"Um, what am I supposed to do?"

"Let me control you, and you'll know."

I glared at her for a moment before shaking my head. I could find out the answer on my own. Seeming amused, Chara turned away to let me work out my own answer.

Well, there was only one way to pass this for certain. I took a few steps back, preparing for the jump I would have to take to cross the cracks. It was certainly a large gap, but if I tried hard enough, then I could probably make it. With Chara's gaze on me, I took a deep breath before charging forward and leaping.

The cracks passed under me, and I flew forward. Miraculously, I made it to the other side. I did not land gracefully, and landed on the palms of my hands, scraping them a bit. The stick almost broke in the process.

Chara floated across the cracks to meet me. "Surprising, but effective. Nice work, partner."

"Thanks." I dusted off my pants before moving onwards.

"Say…" Chara suddenly asked, "Which do you prefer? Cinnamon or Butterscotch?"

"Huh? Why?"

"No particular reason." She shrugged.

So she was just curious? "Uh… okay. I guess…" I thought about it for a while before realizing that I didn't know. "I guess I like both?"

Chara smiled a little. "Me too."

More monsters appeared, but I always managed to turn them to dust quickly, which also meant more coins for me. Chara would always seemed pleased at every death, yet there was still a lingering disappointment hiding behind her happy frame.

After solving a puzzle that required pushing rocks, I confronted her. "Okay, what am I doing wrong?"

"Wrong?" Chara raised an eyebrow.

"You're not happy for some reason." I explained. "Is it because I'm not doing things right?"

Chara looked at me for a moment, a feeling of something stirring behind her eyes. In the next moment, she hung her head down. "I just want to help you. I want to help you through these puzzles and help you become stronger. However, you refuse to accept my offers." There was a tightness in her voice, and I could feel sorrow and sadness emanating from it.

I was starting to feel guilty. Chara had helped me so much, yet in return, I had only made her feel bad. "I-I'm sorry. But I really can manage on my own. There's no need for controlling anyone."

Chara gave me a sharp look, and I wondered if I had said something wrong. "Oh? You say you can manage by yourself?" She gave a small laugh. "Alright then. Let's see just how far you can get… _on your own._ "

"Wait, _what?_ " Was she leaving me behind? "No, don't leave!" I could feel dread seeping into me, making my limbs feel heavy. What had I done? I couldn't do this alone! Chara couldn't leave right now… not after I had just become friends with her!

"Just remember, partner. The more you kill, the stronger you are. Don't forget that." She waved a hearty good-bye. "And don't worry. I'll be back when you _actually_ need me."

"But I need you now!" I protested.

"So long!" In a poof, Chara was gone, and I was alone.

* * *

 **I AM OVERWHELMED BY THE AMOUNT OF AWESOME PEOPLE. Thank you all so much! :3**


	3. Grinding :)

**And from now on, I think I'll be going on a New-Chapter-every-2-days program. :P**

* * *

I moved on without Chara, feeling sad. I had a feeling of wanting to prove her wrong, but at the same time, I just wanted her back. I missed her company.

As it turns out, the cracks were a lot harmless than I had imagined them to be, as there was a point where I was forced to step on them to continue. After falling down once, I figured it wasn't so bad, and I moved on without difficulty.

A new enemy approached, and as my soul appeared, I hesitated. This one was radish-shaped. He had a mouth and eyes, definitely creepy, but I found myself hesitating. Now with Chara gone... maybe I could attempt a little something else? If I could actually manage to defeat this monster without killing it, then maybe I could prove Chara wrong! Then she would see what I was made of.

Mind set, I dropped the stick and yelled at the monster, "I don't want to fight!"

The monster just snorted amusingly in response before sending his attacks at me. They were n assortment of healthy vegetables, but harder to predict since they jumped up and down in the most unpredictable patterns. I got hit.

Feeling angry that the monster was still attacking me despite my foolish attempts, I tried again. "I said, I _don't want to fight_!"

Instead of faltering, the monster only seemed more eager to fight. "Eat your greens!" He cheered in a high-pitched tone. This time, he sent carrots. I gagged a bit at the sight of them raining from the air. I got hit again. I wasn't faring so well.

I decided to try one last time. "...don't want to fight."

The monster just snorted disbelievingly as he sent another attack, and then I knew it was hopeless. You couldn't spare monsters. They were always going to try to kill you, despite what you did to make a peace effort. Feeling a bit angry about the whole situation, I picked my stick back up and swung it at the monster. They disintegrated into ash, screaming as they died.

New enemies started to pop up, ranging from frogs to more bug-shaped monsters. Yet, I continued to slay all monsters that got in my way. It didn't matter if it still made me feel queasy. After all, I now knew that trying to save them was hopeless. And also... I wanted Chara to know that her help to me was needed, and that I would take her advice seriously. If I could really become stronger by killing more, then I would do just that. It would not only prove my point of being able to survive on my own, but it would also show Chara that I valued her information and help.

I was starting to get really dusty.

After a few more puzzles and strange cases of talking rocks that weirded me out, I was met with a table of cheese. It looked like it had been sitting there for a long time. For some reason, it was stuck to the table. I felt confused until I heard the distant squeaking of mice. After some looking around, I found a nearby mousehole. _Knowing that the mouse might one day leave its hole and get the cheese fills you with determination._

And then moving ahead, I found a ghost lying upon a pile of leaves. He was oddly translucent, but was still solid enough that I was scared to move past it. He was taking up the entire length of the hall, and the only way to pass it would be to move him aside.

"Zzzzzzzzzzzzz…" I warily approached the ghost, feeling apprehensive. Would it attack? Was it dangerous? The ghost continued to whisper, "Zzzzzzz.. Are they gone yet? Zzzzzzz…." I had no choice. I was going to have to move it with force.

I reached forward to push it aside, but stopped when my soul was drawn out. Uncertain, I watched as the ghost rose from his pile of leaves, looking sad and downtrodden. I had a sudden urgency to cheer him up, but Chara's message of monster's betrayal made my options waver. Remembering Chara's departure also made me feel guilty.

No! I couldn't feel sad during a fight. The ghost would just take advantage of that, and strike me when my guard was down. I quickly swung my stick, feeling energy surge into me. Surprise touched me when the stick went straight through him, leaving him completely unharmed.

"Nnnnnggghhh." Well, he sure sounded hurt enough. Maybe just passing the stick through him would be enough to get him down. In the next moment, he was crying fat, white tears. It took me a moment to realize it was the attack, and by then, one had already plopped onto my arm.

I yelped in agony as the liquid seeped onto my skin, scorching like acid. Was this ghost's tears actually acidic? Feeling desperate, I dodged around, trying my best to avoid the tears of pain. One got onto my shoe. Another slightly singed my skin. I could feel myself silently hating this ghost for being so difficult.

Feeling angry, I swung the stick, and once again it phased right through him. "Just pluggin' along…" He mumbled. "Really not feeling up to it right now. Sorry." He looked like he didn't want to be here. But I didn't either, yet here we were.

Seeing that he wasn't going to attack anytime soon, I took it as my chance to make another swing. Surely he was weaker now? The ghost let out another indescribable noise before more tears flowed from his wide, empty eyes. I tried to move away, but they almost seemed to be following me wherever I went. One moment they were behind me, and the next moment, they had circled around to face me from the front.

It was unavoidable for me to get hit. One hit my leg. Another singed my shirt. A couple more passed above my head. Feeling helpless, I attempted to duck, only to bring myself face-first into a couple more. My face burned. My body felt weak. I couldn't survive this.

If only Chara were here now. Surely, she knew the best way to beat this ghost. She probably knew the perfect way to dodge these attacks, to kill this thing. I winced as a few more acidic tears burned into my back. If she were still here, I would no doubt have already let her control me, just so I could get through this stupid-

Suddenly, my body lurched, and I jumped right over a whole parade of tears. My eyes widened in surprise, but my body was moving on its own, expertly dodging all things coming my way, and dealing with the attacks like a pro veteran. I could feel my limbs moving, but I wasn't the one moving them. I couldn't control myself, but at the moment, I didn't want to. I felt strong, undefeatable. I could only see through my eyes as I felt power surge through me.

Readying the stick in hand, I felt myself jump before landing a final blow on the ghost. It was strong. _I_ was strong. It sliced cleanly through him, but the ghost was left completely unaffected. The attack was over, and I suddenly felt my strength leave me. Instead, I was just left in a terrible, hurt mess. I shook my head in disbelief. Where did the power go? What in the world had just happened to me?

"Um…" The ghost stared uncertainly at me. "You do know you can't kill ghosts, right?" I blinked at him, feeling particularly stupid. I couldn't? I hadn't known that. If only Chara were here to tell me. "We're sorta incorporeal and all… i was just pretending to be hurt because i didn't want to be rude…"

I could literally feel my jaw opening in disbelief. The whole time, I was trying to kill him, and the ghost was just trying to be… un-rude? (If that was even a word)

"Sorry…" He suddenly apologized, "i just made this more awkward… um, pretend you beat me…"

"Wait, what-" Before I could stop him, he was already disappearing.

"Ooooooo…" And he was gone, leaving my hand still half sustained in the air. Sighing, I brought my hand back down. I didn't even get to figure out his name.

He was right, this _was_ awkward.

"So, how was it?" A voice said next to me. Confused, I turned around to find Chara.

"You're back!" I exclaimed with maybe too much enthusiasm.

She smirked in response. "Miss me?" She gestured to the pile of leaves where the ghost had just been. "By the way, you would be dead by now if it weren't for me."

"Huh? How? You didn't even do anything!"

"Think harder." Chara insisted.

I narrowed my eyes at her. "I still don't get it. I beat that ghost all on my own, after my body started to…" I stopped as I suddenly realized what might've happened. "No, wait. You didn't actually…"

"I controlled you." Chara beamed, no trace of guilt anywhere. "And look how great we did! We make a good team."

"What? No!" I could feel anger start to build up in me, all previous excitement gone. "You _controlled_ me? I thought you said I had to give you consent in order for you to do that!"

"You did." She pointed out, an eyebrow raised.

"No, I didn't…" But then thinking harder… during the fight, I just might've thought something along that line. That just made me more frustrated. "Well, ok fine. I did, but you know I didn't want to be controlled, and yet you still-"

"You still don't get it, do you?" Chara was now giving me an annoyed look, like I was the one that was supposed to be apologizing. "I already told you so many times, and you still don't get it."

"Get what?" I asked, completely bewildered.

"That you can't trust anyone down here. Don't give me that look. I saw the way you were staring at that ghost. You were feeling bad for him, weren't you?" Chara's voice was loud and accusing.

"Well so what if I did?" Surely it couldn't be all that bad? What was so terrible about making a few friends here and there?

"If you let your guard down around monsters, they'll take advantage of it, and strike you right when your back is turned!" Chara sounded frustrated. "Don't you _get_ that?"

I blinked confusedly back at her. "But he seemed nice enough!"

" _Seemed_." Chara pointed out.

"And he was just a sad, depressed ghost that needed some cheering up!"

"An act."

"He didn't want to be there. He didn't want a fight."

"Yet he still hurt you." Chara stared pointedly at the bruises on me, caused by the acid tears.

I was starting to get annoyed by how Chara had an answer for everything. "He didn't want to be rude…"

"Yet he still made things awkward." Chara shook her head. "Don't you see? He was just trying to make you look stupid! The whole time you were hitting him, he didn't even spend one moment to think about whether to tell you if it was effective or not. It was all planned from the beginning."

My temper was growing low. "Well, if you had just been here to tell me, then I wouldn't have had to go through that!"

"Oh," Chara drawled sarcastically. "So now it's on _me_ , huh?"

"Yeah!" I shouted back. "It _is_ on you! If you had just been here when I needed you, then those problems would've never even occurred!"

Chara stared at me harder before her gaze softened. "But I _was_ there when you needed me. Isn't that enough?"

I stared at her. After the truth of her words finally sank into me, my anger started to die down as well. She had never _really_ left me at all. She had still appeared when I was in danger. "Yeah, well…" I took a deep breath. "Just don't leave again. Please?"

Chara paused a moment before nodding in agreement. "Still. Don't give me that 'controlling you' lecture again. I know you enjoyed it."

"Did not!" I protested. But even then, I could remember that moment when I fought the ghost. I had felt strong and powerful, controlled and unbeatable. But I wasn't going to be admitting that to Chara. Because no matter how amazing it was… it was still _wrong._

Chara smiled. "Suit yourself. But I know you'll have to come to acknowledge it someday."

"We'll see." I huffed. Seeing my expression, Chara let out a small laugh. I smiled back at her, but said nothing.

I was just glad she was back.

* * *

There were less and less of them now.

After killing a couple of spiders due to fear, accidentally falling down more holes, and pressing random buttons for fun, I finally found myself at a fork in the road. The whole time, Chara was there to guide me and instruct me on what to do and where to go. I found that spending time with her made my time through the Ruins a lot more bearable.

"Keep going forward." Chara instructed me. "It's time we got something better than a thin stick."

"Something better?" I questioned, moving down the hall.

"You'll see."

After finally reaching the end of the hall and taking a left, I was met with the view of a huge city. There were many buildings, and they were all big and grey. A dull color that gave of an abandoned aura of loneliness. Did monsters live here? I shivered just thinking about the amount of them.

I was so busy admiring the city that I hadn't noticed Chara moving away until she beckoned to me. Wondering what she was about to show me, I followed her to the corner of the balcony.

"Take this." She ordered me, gesturing to a silver thing lying on the ground. It looked like a knife. Feeling wary, I bent down to closer examine it, and I realized it was just a toy. Feeling slightly reassured, I picked it up. The handle was rubbery, and the blade was plastic. It was better than a stick… but not much better.

Still holding onto it, I cast Chara a grateful glance. "How did you know it would be here?"

"I know every nook and cranny of the underground." Chara replied simply. "Now come." She moved away from the room. Admiring the city one last time, I turned around and followed her out.

Now back at the fork in the road, I took the other turn. Ahead was a big black tree. The color it had resembled the burnt bark of forest trees that had been burned to ash. Just staring at it made me nervous. It had no leaves.

Then further ahead, I saw a purple cottage surrounded by colorful leaves. It was pretty small, and neat-looking. It reminded me of Snow White and the Seven Dwarves. _Seeing such a cute, tidy house in the Ruins fills you with Determination._

"Who lives here?" I asked Chara.

"That big goat monster." She replied, and I could immediately feel myself stiffen up. "She's a hard one to beat. Maybe we should go back and kill more monsters before approaching her."

I slowly nodded. Chara always knew what was best. I had to get more… _Love_. Still remembering Flowey's use of terms, I turned around and marched back towards the hall. I had to get stronger. Not that I knew how defeating more monsters could make me better, but I had to try if it would help.

"It does help." Chara told me, like she was reading my mind. "It not only gives you experience to fight battles better, but it also improves your ability to last longer."

"To last longer?" I pondered. "Like more health?" Maybe it was because my body was becoming more accustomed to getting hurt, and could therefore end up taking more and more as I battled. That made some sense.

Following Chara's advice, I fought more monsters. Now, I found myself perfectly capable of ignoring their screams as they died. I could tell that I really was improving. I could see and dodge attacks much more quickly. My swings became more precise, and with the toy knife, they were more powerful as well. After every death, I could feel myself becoming stronger. I had plenty of capacity. I just needed to fill it up to that.

After one last monster, Chara grinned smugly. "We're done. It's time to fight the goat."

I gave her a confused look. "Why now?" Couldn't I fight a couple more monsters? Just to make myself even better? I wasn't exactly sure of myself. I doubted I could actually face any strong monster head-on without failing. I wanted to be absolutely positive about my strength.

"Worried?" Chara teased.

"I just want to make sure I can beat it." I stopped when I reached the doorway of the house, feeling nervous.

"Well, there's no way to do that. Unless…" Chara was giving me a very serious look. "Unless you let me control you."

"T-this again?!"

"It's true though. I know all the attacks perfectly well. If I could just control you, then the fight will be easy! It'll be over before you know it."

I faced her doubtfully. "We'll see."

"You still don't trust me?" Chara shot a displeased look in my direction. "Huh. Fine then."

I obviously hadn't meant it that way, but I didn't feel like correcting her. We had more important matters at hand. "Ok." I breathed. "In we go."

* * *

 **And we finally enter the humble home of Mama Goat! Except things are different this time. :)**


	4. Shock

**_To Unknown (Guest)_ : Thank you for your concern! Although I'm really doing fine. I love writing! However, I will take a break if I ever find a need to. :)**

 **And although I don't believe my writing is good enough to affect anyone, I just want to warn you about some upcoming Genocide-y events. Just in case you don't, uh... fare well with it. :P**

* * *

There was a warm smell floating around, although I couldn't quite tell what it was from. The inside was just as nice-looking as the outside. It was basically entirely a mellow color, a comfortable yellow. Bookshelves lined the walls. In front of me was a staircase, and to the left and right stretched a long hall. It was peculiar to see such a nice place underground. It was also hard to believe that monsters could live in such neat places. I had first imagined them to live in dark caves and holes or something. Apparently, I was very wrong.

"Where is the monster?" I asked Chara quietly, as I saw no sign of the goat. I was certainly relieved to know I didn't have to face it yet, but not knowing where it was also made me apprehensive.

Chara, for some reason, chose not to answer. "The end of the Ruins is down that staircase." She informed me. "Just head down there and we'll be outta here."

I gave her a confused look. "So I don't have to fight the goat?"

"It depends. If we make it through without getting seen, then yes. But if she catches us as we're leaving, then no."

"Where is she now?"

"The living room." Chara pointed to the left of the hall.

I could feel curiosity worming its way into me. "And she'll be there for a while, right?"

"Reading." Chara informed me.

It was surprising to know that monsters read books, but I didn't question it. "So it's just us and the goat here, right?"

Chara gave me a questioning look. She seemed unsettled. "But don't you want to leave? Freedom is literally right in front of us." She gestured again to the staircase.

"But I wanna explore!" I protested.

"No, Frisk!" Chara hissed. "You can't!"

"Well why not?" Unable to hold it in any longer, I ran down the right side of the hall. A fancy rug lined the floor, softening my footsteps. "C'mon, we've got nothing to worry about, right? The worst that can happen is that the goat monster catches us. But we'll be fine as long as she doesn't notice us."

Chara quickly followed me, still hissing in an almost frustrated way. "No, you don't understand!"

I stopped in front of a yellow door. "What do you mean?"

"I mean…" She cast a worried look to the door in front of me. Was she scared of meeting someone in there?

"Ah…" I tsked her, waving my finger. "You're not actually sure where the monster is, so you're afraid of me approaching her on accident? Well, I'm glad you care for my well-being."

"What?" Chara gave me a disbelieving look. "Of course I know where she is!"

I raised my eyebrow. "Then what are you so worried about?" Chara paused, unable to answer. "Right. No really, it's fine. After all, you'll always be here to help me, right?" I started forward to open the knob of the door.

Chara started to wave her arms hysterically. "Wait!" I stopped, giving her a befuddled look.

"Geez, are you okay?" She was acting almost paranoid. What in the heck could be worrying her so much?

"Just…" She sighed in defeat before whispering a warning, "Be careful."

I raised my eyebrow in confusion. "Well, that's what I've been doing the whole time."

Chara nodded. "Just… be careful about what you say. Don't tell anyone that you've been killing monsters, or that you can see me."

I blinked at her, feeling completely lost. "Why?"

She shook her head. "Just don't."

After a moment, I slowly nodded. That seemed to satisfy Chara, and she immediately relaxed. Feeling confused as to why such a promise would make her stop worrying, I slowly twisted the knob of the door and stepped into the room.

I was met three pairs of eyes.

" _H-huh_?" I literally jumped in surprise at the scene before me. Three _people_ , seeming around my age, were sitting in the room. There were two girls, and one boy. They had wide, surprised looks on their faces.

I couldn't understand what was happening. There were other people down here? There were others that were stuck down here with me? I wasn't alone. But I wasn't sure whether to feel anxious or relieved. I cast a look to Chara, but she wasn't beside me. Where did she go?  
The girl sitting closer to me spoke up first. "W-wow! Erisa! You actually made it!"

I blinked at her confusedly. Then I looked behind me to see if she was talking to someone else. Seeing no one, I turned back around and pointed to myself. "Me?"

After an awkward moment of silence, the girl burst into laughter. "E-Erisa! Stop making fun of yourself." She stood up to give me a kind smile.

But I was baffled. Who was this… 'Erisa?' "I don't know who you're talking about." I replied seriously. "My name's Frisk."

The girl just shook her head in amusement, and I could tell that she wasn't taking me seriously. "You're just the same as ever. But I'm just glad you made it." She stepped forward and, to my surprise, gave me a hug.

Her touch was familiar, but my whole body was screaming at me. I couldn't tell from what. Maybe it was because I was angry. Angry that she wouldn't take me seriously. Maybe it was because I was confused. I had no idea who Erisa was, and why this stranger was hugging me like we were best pals. But could it be something else?...

I slightly shook her off, and she let go. Her face mirrored confusion. Before she could even question me, she glanced quickly at her clothes. "E-Erisa?" She nervously looked up, and I could see that her expression was afraid. "Why are your clothes so… _dusty_?"

Chara's words flashed in my mind. I couldn't tell anyone about the killings. "The Ruins are a dirty place." I informed her. "And old. There's dust everywhere."

She didn't look like she quite believed me, but then, the other girl stepped out from behind her. I had almost forgotten she was there. The boy was just watching curiously from behind, still sitting on the bed nearby.

"What, so you've just been crawling all around the floor trying to collect it?" The new girl smirked slightly, eyeing my clothes. I noticed there was a red ribbon tied in her hair. It made her look pretty. "Seriously, what did you do to get so dirty?"

I knew I had to make up an excuse. I didn't know why. But Chara's words were now echoing even stronger. It was like a flashing light, warning me to tread carefully. "...I tripped a couple of times." I tried to sound embarrassed.

"Tripped?" The first girl asked, and I could tell she was worried.

"Of course!" The ribbon girl laughed. "Someone as clumsy as you would do just that." I could feel myself turning a bit red at the comment, but I was also glad they took the excuse.

The first girl was giving me a curious look. "Are you okay?" She finally asked. "You look like you've seen a ghost."

I was about to reply that I actually had, but I decided against it. These people were certainly odd. It was probably better to just play along. "I'm fine. Just tired." Only after saying it did I realize just how true it was. I wasn't exactly in the most energized state I could be. My limbs were tired, and the bed was starting to look extremely appealing.

"Then why don't you take a nap?" She suggested. "We can always talk in the morning." The second girl just rolled her eyes.

"Take a nap?" I asked, incredulous. "But what about the goat monster?"

"Goat monster?" She tilted her head in confusion before understanding popped onto her expression. "Oh! You mean Toriel. Well, what about her?"

I blinked at her. "T… Toriel?"

"Yeah, that's her name. Do you not remember that?" She scratched her head worriedly. "Gee, you really _are_ tired. Just go get some sleep."

"B-but!" I protested, trying to warn them. "It's dangerous!"

"Stop being ridiculous." The ribbon girl said. "It's perfectly safe, once you've reached this part. That is, until you go and battle Toriel."

I blinked in awe. "Are all of you going to work together to fight her?"

"I suppose." The first girl mused. "And now since you're here, it'll make the whole thing go faster."

I could feel excitement fizzing inside of me. I wasn't going to be alone anymore! These three would help me to fight the goat monster and defeat her. With them, this was going to be easy! There really was no need for Chara's help if I had them.

Right at that moment, I wanted to burst out with my new friends and approach the monster right away. But just the thought of more excitement was making me feel even _more_ exhausted. Walking and swinging my arm around all day had just made me feel tired. It probably wouldn't hurt to take a moment to just stop, take a break, and lie down for a moment. Rest now, talk later.

"If I take a nap, you'll wait for me, right?" It won't take too long.

"Well of course." The first girl blinked confusedly. "Why wouldn't we?"

She was nice, I decided. All of them were. I was lucky to have met them. "Haha, thanks. I'll just go catch some Z's then." Yawning, I trotted over to the bed. The boy narrowed his eyes at me before getting up. I figured it was because he didn't want to surrender the bed to me. I slipped the backpack off and dropped it somewhere close by.

After giving my three new friends a grateful glance, I plopped onto the bed. It was warm, and the sheets had the faint smell of fur. Before I could even figure out why, the scent and drowsiness in my head lulled me to sleep.

* * *

I woke up in the emptiness.

The room was dark. I could barely make out the shapes around me. I waited a moment for my eyes to adjust to my surroundings. I was still lying on the bed. Trying to get a better look around, I sat up. There was a big figure next to me. I touched its smooth surface. I presumed it was a closet. Near the foot of the bed were some stuffed animals. Not being able to see much further than that, I crawled out of the bed and landed on the rug.

In front of me was a plate. And upon the plate lay a single slice of… something. It was slightly triangular shaped, like a slice of something. But was it a cake or a pie? Feeling curious, I poked it. The inside was squishy, but the top was rougher, like dough. Maybe it was a pie. I wondered what flavor it was. I couldn't feel any possible substances residing in the food, so I guessed it wasn't a fruit pie. Unless the fruit was blended in as a paste?

No, I was thinking too much. I just needed to find the lamp and turn the lights on. Then I could actually see what was around me. Remembering seeing a lamp in the corner of the room from before, I headed in that direction, carefully stepping over the pie as to avoid squashing it on accident.

Once I finally reached a lamp that I presumed to be sitting on a table, I switched it on. The room immediately brightened up, and I realized that the slice was indeed, a pie. A pie of what, I couldn't tell yet.

Now carefully observing the room, I could tell that it closely resembled a child's. There were many stuffed animals and small toys lying about, not to mention the small, cute sizes of all the objects in the room. Stepping up to the pie, I knelt down and picked it up, plate and all. The substance inside was a curious light brown and tawny color. Only now that I was looking at it did I realize how hungry I was. I hadn't eaten anything since I… fell.

Propping myself back on the bed, and finding no fork, I dug right in with my hands. The first bite was simply… delicious. Finding it absolutely delectable, I continued to hungrily scarf down the rest of the pie. It tasted faintly like… butterscotch and cinnamon. Remembering Chara's previous question before, I wondered if she had left it here for me. Even now, she was still caring for me.

Practically finished with the pie and eating the last few crumbs, I licked my fingers. My hands were a bit messy now, but there was no need to be ashamed, as no one was looking.

Speaking of no one looking, where was everyone? Only now that I was thinking of it did I notice their absence. Where were they? They couldn't have left without me, right? No, they must've just left the room to go elsewhere. But wasn't the room safe? Why would they leave? Unless it was to scout on the goat monster, and to learn her weaknesses? Questions whirling in my mind, I shook my head. They had said they would wait for me as I slept. They wouldn't lie, would they?

Doubt was now tugging at my mind. Putting the now empty plate aside, I jumped down from the bed and looked around the room. And that's when I began to notice some things. There were red splotches, barely noticeable, but they were there. There were some on the red carpet, a few smudged on the nearby closet, and a little line leading straight out of the room and out under the doorway.

I felt confused, and a bit scared. It wasn't what I thought it was, right? I bent down to examine the stains on the carpet. Maybe it was just red paint, a need for a new repaint of the room. I felt it with my hand, and brought it up to find that some had smudged onto my finger. I frantically wiped it off on my pants. It was still slightly wet… fresh. That meant that whoever had left it hadn't left too long ago.

Feeling cautious, I followed the line of red up to the door. Slowly, I moved my hand forwards to reach for the door knob.

And then, Chara suddenly appeared right next to me. I practically jumped out of my skin from her sudden appearance. "Ch-Chara?"

"There isn't much time." She spoke urgently. "You friends… _she_ has them."

"She?" I asked incredulously, worry bubbling in me. " _Who?_ " But I already had a feeling I knew the answer.

"The goat monster." Chara replied quickly. "Toriel."

The answer brought a shock into my whole system. My eyes widened at the truth. "No way." I stared back at the red line on the ground. " _No way._ " I felt myself backing away from Chara, feeling disbelief cloud my thoughts.

"She has them." Chara repeated. "Maybe if you're fast enough, you can save them."

"Me?" I snapped my head up before pointing to myself doubtfully. "I can save them?"

"Yes, you can. But you need to hurry. By now, she might already have…" She didn't continue the thought.

There was no need for her to. I already got the idea. I quickly slammed the door open, only to find a thicker, longer trail of red leading down the hall, staining the pretty carpet. Right in front of the doorway lay a bloodstained knife. No, wait… it wasn't a real knife. It was just a toy.

Suddenly remembering having found it before, I gingerly picked it up. The blood on it had already dried, so it thankfully didn't stick to my hands. Unfortunately, I had no idea who the blood belonged to, or who had used it to inflict the damage. I casted Chara a worried glance, and she just nodded towards the trail of red.

I quickly followed the trail of blood, which increasingly grew thicker as I ran along. The line lead all the way back to the main room and down the staircase to the basement. I could barely register my surroundings. I was entirely focused on finding my new friends to try to save them. Huffing in worry and anticipation, I headed down the painted stairs to meet a gloomy and dark purple hallway.

The trail was fainter against the purple stone, but I could still follow along. Almost running, I ran down the corridor, hearing my footsteps echo dauntingly all around me. Chara floated quickly next to me, keeping up easily. A turn was slowly approaching to the left. I could already hear noises and voices. They were faint, but steadily growing louder as I continued to run.

"...have seen it again and again." There was a faint crackling sound in the background of the voice. "They come. They leave. They'll die. You naive child…"

Hearing the words brought horror into my mind. I tried blocking out the sounds to avoid myself from getting distracted. Quickly reaching the turn, I swerved left and ran a couple more footsteps before registering the scene before me.

"...will kill you."

With her back to me, ribbon girl was facing the goat monster. Toriel stood confidently with her arms up, beckoning the fireballs to surround the enemy. Where were the others? I didn't know. I could see that the girl was weak, just barely holding on. Yet, she still had just enough energy to dodge fireball attacks. More and more were sent her way. They looked undodgeable, yet she managed to avoid every single one.

I could feel my heart beating in my chest. Was there anything that I could do to help? Or would I just get in the way?

Before I could even think of an answer, the monster finally noticed me, with a surprised expression upon her face. "My child!"

"Huh?" The girl quickly turned around to face me before her eyes widened in shock. "You're here!?" It wasn't a relieved or happy tone of voice. It was accusing, and frightened. I didn't know what to do. Nothing was making sense. I turned to Chara for advice, but she was busy staring at the goat monster.

Toriel's gaze hardened. "You are just like the others."

I blinked in confusion. "W-what do you mean?"

"No, stop! Listen, you idiot!" The girl was waving for my attention as she quickly spoke. "You need to get out of here as fast as you can! It's dangerous, I don't know why, but for some reason, everyone else got-"

But she let her guard down. Suddenly, a whole flurry of fireballs struck her in the back. Things seemed to be moving in slow motion after that. The last thing I saw on her expression was ultimate horror. Then she fell, completely still upon the cold floor.

For a moment, I could let my doubts roam. That maybe she wasn't actually dead, and was just acting dramatic, or was pretending to be hurt so that the monster could divert her attention to me while she made her escape.

But I knew it wasn't that. She had looked like she was giving an important message to me. She wouldn't stop on that unless she was unable to. Like, per say, if she were _dead_. I swallowed, realizing that she had sacrificed her life to try to give me this message, and it made me feel… guilty.

She still hadn't gotten up. She was dead. I could feel myself shaking. Nothing seemed real, and everything was spinning. Slowly, I looked up to see Toriel's shocked face. Her paws covered her snout as if to stifle her horror at what she had done.

But either way, she had done it. She had killed all of them. The only humans that I had met down here, not counting Chara. She had ruined everything for me. She had ruined all the plans I had, to fight and escape with my new friends. To work together to find our way through the Underground.

I felt angry. I clutched my knife harder, trying to still my constant shaking. This 'Toriel' monster had hurt my friends with this exact knife, and I was going to do the same back to her!

Stepping forward, I could felt my soul draw out.

* * *

 **A lot of people seem to be confused about this, so I'll clarify it.**

 **Frisk has amnesia because she hit her head too hard. Otherwise, she would remember everything perfectly well. The other humans don't remember not because they have amnesia, but because they were part of the Reset. They were Reseted. (if that's even a word) So basically, only Flowey, Chara, and Frisk are supposed to remember. But Frisk doesn't, because she fell weirdly. :P**

 **And yea, her name is Erisa. Nothing special. She _is_ just some other human that randomly fell into the mountain. :P However, if you want it, you can always replace Erisa with y/n. :)**


	5. Retribution

"What… What have I done?" Toriel's eyes were wide as she stared at the girl's corpse, seeming unmoving, despite the battle she had just entered with me.

Obviously, she was just pretending. Right before I had approached them, she had been talking about killing all the others and how we would die. This shock on her face was obviously not real, just an act and nothing more. I didn't know why she was keeping it up. Was she trying to fool me?

No, I wasn't going to fall for any of her tricks. Not after she just killed someone right in front of me.

She still didn't move, so I decided to make the first strike. Bringing the stained knife up, I sliced it right upon her muzzle before leaping back to examine the after effects. It did practically nothing, and it was nothing more than a simple scratch. I could feel myself fuming at my failed efforts. I had to hit harder.

Toriel blinked a couple of times before being brought back into reality. Her eyes widened as she faced me, seeing the knife in my hand.

"Child!" She gasped. "I do not want to fight!" She sounded truly heartbroken and confused. For a moment, I could feel my doubts wavering. It was true that she had just killed this girl… but had she really killed the other two as well?

In the next moment, Chara was next to me. "Don't listen to her, she's very persuasive." There was almost a tone of spite in her voice. "Just don't pay attention to her, and you'll be fine."

I nodded in understanding. Of course she killed the other two. No one else could've. The knife I was holding was living proof of that. It was a good thing Chara was so dependable. Feeling angry that the monster was trying to manipulate me, I charged forward and dealt another slash across her furry arm. She didn't flinch, which gave me the idea that I was not dealing much damage.

"...why are you looking at me like that?" Her voice was suddenly laced with suspicion. "Like you have seen a ghost. Do you know something I do not?"

For a moment, I hesitated. What in the world was she talking about?

"You're distracted again." Chara noted. I ducked my head in shame. "Don't worry. I have a plan."

"It's not controlling again, right?"

"Well… no, not exactly. You can let me control your senses."

I frowned. "How will that help?" Toriel was now sending fireballs in my direction, which I quickly dodged. For some reason, they did not look as complicated as the ones she sent at the other girl.

The one that was now lying dead upon the floor, two feet away from me. Maybe it was better not to underestimate this monster until I had defeated her.

"I can control your hearing, so that you won't hear anything." Chara continued. "You won't get distracted anymore."

I didn't have the time to talk, so I just quickly agreed to satisfy her. "Fine."

Chara grinned. "Alright." Then she faded before me, and all sounds around me seemingly… disappeared.

Yet for some reason, my mind started to clear up as well. Was this possibly Chara's doing, or was it just a side-affect of not having noises to distract me? Either way, I found this tactic much more desirable than the control option. Because although Chara wasn't controlling me completely, I felt like my mind was fresh and clean enough to see through everything.

There was a determined yet unsettled gaze on the goat monster. She spoke, but I didn't hear her. She sent more fireballs in my direction, and I dodged. Her attacks were definitely harder than an average monster's attacks. A few singed my shirt, but I felt nothing. Was it possible that Chara was controlling me to not feel the attacks as well? That was certainly useful, but… scary. To not feel anything at all was a little terrifying. It was literally making me a killing machine, and allowing me to fight until I died. But I had to endure. These attacks were hard to avoid.

And yet, at the same time… it seemed like she was holding back. For some reason, it made me feel angry. It was like she was looking down on me, thinking I wasn't good enough to take her on if she used her full power.

Pouting, I thrust the knife forward. A final cut slashed across her front, and she finally knelt down before me in what I supposed what pain. Her eyes closed in defeat. I wanted to shout in success, but the expression she made made me feel unsure. There was a hurt look on her face, and it showed sadness and regret.

She sighed quietly before speaking a couple of words that I couldn't hear. Chara was still helping me. I had to finish the job.

I raised my arm to deal the last hit. But then suddenly, I stopped. My body was screaming at me to stop. It was like I was frozen. Something inside me told me that this was absolutely, one-hundred percent _wrong._

But how? She was a murderer. She killed my friends. How was this wrong in any way? I brought my arm up again, preparing to strike.

"Y… you…" She mumbled. "Really hate me that much?"

I could hear her again. Why wasn't Chara doing her job? I tried to bring my arm down, but my body continued to protest. This couldn't be Chara's doing, right? No, it couldn't be. I hadn't given her permission to control me fully, so therefore she couldn't. Then what in the world could possibly be holding me back?

I could feel the hold on the knife starting to loosen when I realized the truth. Something inside me was reminding me to take a look at the full picture before coming to conclusions. But what could it be? It was a faint memory, something that I knew I should've remembered, but couldn't quite-

And that's when I caught it. Under the false facade, a glimpse of Toriel's flashing red eyes as she showed her devilish grin that displayed sharp yellow teeth. Yelping in surprise, I rehandled my grip on the knife before quickly bringing it down onto her head.

It was only after performing the act did I realize what I had done. Gasping in horror, I let go of the knife before stepping back, leaving it embedded in her head. It just made things look worse, and I could feel disgust at my own actions churning in my gut. But remembering the look she gave me only moments before made me feel just as equally terrified.

Toriel gave me a crazed smile, emanating a creepy aura. "Now I see who I was protecting by keeping you here." Her voice gave off a sense of craziness, like she wasn't quite herself. Or maybe this _was_ herself. She was finally revealing her true side. "Not you… But _them_!"

"T-them?" Confusion swam in my head, making everything seem unreal. Maybe it was. "You mean those other three that you _killed_?"

"Ha… ha…" Toriel's expression changed, so now she was just giving me a small, weak smile. It was pitiful, almost. And then, she crumbled to dust, leaving behind a single grey soul. It trembled in place for a few, dreadful seconds before splitting into two.

And shattering into a million little pieces.

I blinked at the pile of dust upon the ground, feeling uncertain. Questions were written around all over my head, threatening to consume me in worries I couldn't solve or answer. What was that face Toriel gave, right before I stabbed her head? Who was "them"? Was this… the right thing to do?

Chara reappeared in front of me, oddly silent, but wearing a huge grin. Now that she had left me, I could feel the places where Toriel's fire had hit me. It hurt. I hadn't known I had got hit so many times. It was slightly overwhelming.

When Chara noticed my expression, her grin immediately disappeared. "Why do you look like that?" She asked accusingly.

I slowly inclined my head in her direction. "Like what?"

"That expression you're making!" Chara made a face. "Don't tell me you wanted to actually _spare_ that monster! She killed everyone!"

A quote was stirring in the back of my mind, but I couldn't remember it. "I know."

"And yet…" Chara was gritting her teeth. "You're still thinking those things. Those thoughts of _mercy_!"

"...sorry."

Chara stared at me for a moment more before shaking her head. "Oh well, you're still young. You have a lot to learn. And at least you still managed to kill her in the end, so I guess that counts for something." I nodded feebly. "Cheer up! We managed to defeat the boss, so start looking like it!"

"It's just…" I wiped my eyes. "My new friends… They're all…" Apparently, I couldn't form coherent sentences. The girl was still lying dead next to me, but I didn't want to look at her. I couldn't look.

I looked.

I immediately wished I hadn't. The ribbon in her hair was crumpled. She was lying face down, but her face was slightly tilted so that I could see her face. Her mouth was twisted in a surprised 'o', and her eyes were glassy and unemotional. Just a few minutes ago, they were alive with energy. Now, they were dead. She was dead.

I wiped my eyes with my sleeve again, barely holding in slight sniffles. I felt dead inside.

Fortunately, Chara seemed to get the idea. She cast a sideways glance at the girl before shifting her gaze back to me. "Well, at least you avenged them. There's nothing we can do about it now."

I wanted to tell her that we could. That we could maybe find the other people, then give all three of them a proper burial. That they could all get some respect to the bravery they had shown. But I knew I couldn't. I couldn't manage to see another dead body, especially not to carry or touch one. There was nothing I could do.

Chara was right. She was always right.

Maybe if I had just listened to her in the beginning and just left when I had the chance to, then I wouldn't have had to meet these people. Then I wouldn't have to feel the remorse now, once they had all died. I gulped, shaking slightly.

And to add on to it, I now had a death on my hands. Not a human, but a monster. Yes, I had plenty of monster deaths on my hands, but this one felt different. It felt like I had betrayed someone by committing to the act of killing. But who could it be? Certainly not Chara. Then who?

I shook my head to clear my mind. All this worrying was just making me sick. What was done was done. All I could do was move on.

But still, seeing that body was making me queasy. I was used to piles of dust, but human bodies…

Chara seemed to notice the disgust on my face. "We can just move on now, you know. There's no use grieving."

"Is there anything to go back for?"

"Not really. There's more pie, but…"

"Yeah. No thanks." I had no appetite.

"So I thought. So, how about it, partner? Let's move on."

I nodded slowly, then stepped forward to open the Ruin doors. They were heavy, yet I still managed to budge them open. It left a loud, ominous creak echoing down the halls.

I didn't look back.

* * *

"Hahaha…" The flower was back. I felt like running away, but Chara stopped me, shaking her head.

" _Why_?" I hissed at her, frantically pointing at the flower. Maybe she just wanted me to kill him?

Flowey ignored my comment. "You're not really human, are you?" Now that got my attention. I snapped my head in his direction, wondering what in the heck he was talking about. My expression demanded answers. "No. You've changed. You're empty inside. Just like me. No wait… you're not you. In fact… you're _Chara_ , right?"

I could feel all my senses exploding at the question. How did he know her? I thought only I could see her? I quickly looked at Chara, wondering how she would react to that. Surprisingly, she seemed almost completely unaffected.

The flower continued to babble, smiling dreamily. "We're still inseparable, after all these years…" Chara turned her head away, as if denying it. "Listen. I have a plan to become all powerful. Even more powerful than you and your stolen soul." Confused, I pointed to myself. Then I tilted my head at Chara, trying to make sense of things. "Let's destroy everything in this wretched world. Everyone, everything in these worthless memories… Let's turn 'em all to dust."

Dust. What all monsters turned to when they died. I thought back to Toriel's tiny pile of dust, lying all alone next to the dead body of another human.

After a moment, Chara nodded at Flowey. Then she motioned at me to do the same. Were the two coming to an agreement on something? Confused, I nodded slowly at the flower.

Flowey grinned eagerly. " _That's a wonderful idea!_ " He chirped. Then he popped back into the dirt, now nowhere to be seen. He left no trace of himself behind.

Nothing was making sense. Nothing fit together. When I first fell, Flowey was ready to kill me. Now, he was making deals with Chara, who I thought only I could see. What was going on? I faced Chara with a confused look, but she didn't look ready to give answers.

Instead, she beckoned me to move onwards, completely dismissing the encounter with Flowey.

"That's it?" I asked. "You're just going to tell me to move on, like nothing happened?"

"What?" She asked unamused, seeming not to get the point. "What do you want me to do?"

"Explain… things!" I waved my arms around, trying to show my anxiety. "I have no idea what's going on. I have no idea what Flowey has planned, and why you're playing along. So many people have died! What am I supposed to do?" I covered my hands with my face, blocking out my line of sight. "What is there to do? I just wish I knew…"

I peeked through my fingers to see Chara shaking her head. "You're hopeless. After relaying this message to you so many times, you still forget it."

"I don't forget it. I just don't understand it."

"Then let me repeat it to you until your head gets it." Chara leaned forward, her face inches away from mine. "In this world, it's kill or be killed. You only did what you had to. Those people died because they didn't follow the rule. Now, we have to move on. It's the only place left for us. You do want to go home, don't you?"

"Home?" It hadn't even occurred to me in these last few moments, to ever go _home._ Where and what was it, anyway? It wasn't like my memories could conjure anything for me to base home off of. For all I knew, it was a terrible place full of terrible memories. But maybe, it symbolized love and family, a time when I knew peace and happiness.

Well, it certainly couldn't be that. If it had really come to that, why else would I have fallen in this stupid mountain anyway?

"Yes, home. We're heading there. If you just keep following my advice, you won't have to worry about not being able to get there."

I blinked at her for a few moments. "Are you trying to get home too?"

Chara made a spiteful face, but didn't answer. "Now hurry up, we have to keep moving." She drifted towards the Ruins' door, the final exit out these purple mazes. Out this terrible path of memories I would hope to forget.

Sighing, I nodded. Chara was right. Of course. She was always right.

* * *

 **I've received a couple of complaints about how the character went out of characterization in the previous chapter, so if you ever see that kind of thing happening again, feel free to note me on it.**


	6. Snow Problem

It was only after shutting the Ruin doors closed did I realize I forgot my backpack. All I had with me was a simple toy knife.

Not to mention that it was absolutely _freezing_.

Snow fell down in little drifts of snowflakes, and although there wasn't much, it still felt overwhelming. All around me was ankle-deep snow, and I was just in some simple tennis shoes. Even though I was wearing a sweatshirt, it still didn't feel like enough. I could feel my teeth chattering from the obvious temperature drop.

After everything I had just went through, I did not have the mentality to go through anything else. But I had to. Just thinking about it made me want to fall right in the snow and go to sleep, just to save my troubles for later times, when I wasn't feeling as aggravated.

Chara just urged me on, casting wary glances around us. "Remember, you can't trust anyone."

"Yeah yeah…" After a couple steps, I finally made it onto a slightly-blue path. It was still wet, slushy, _and_ icy, but it was better than trudging through thick, fresh snow. Huffing, I started forwards. All around me were tall trees, though none of them seemed to have leaves, which gave off a mysterious and dead feeling. A dead forest. It reeked of danger and ominous promises.

Ahead, I found a branch. Or at least, what used to be a branch. Once before, it might have been a tough and heavy stick, but now, it was broken into four separate and smaller sticks. I wondered why it was broken, and why into four pieces exactly. Curious, I bent down and picked one up. It was extremely thick, practically impossible to break. Chara nodded in approval. I wondered how effective it would be against enemies.

Then I started to wonder what broke it. Just thinking about it was enough to urge me to keep going. But it wasn't but a couple steps more before I heard a huge crack sound from behind me. Startled, I quickly turned around. There was no one, but along the already-broken branch was a new crack that hadn't been there only moments before.

I could feel my skin chilling at the thought. (An unintended pun, at that.) I cast a look at Chara, and she nodded, confirming my suspicions. Someone was definitely there. But where, I didn't know.

Trees continued to pass along to the side, tall and daunting. But at the same time, thin and frail. I was slightly afraid that one would suddenly fall down and squash me into spaghetti. Trying not to think too hard on negative thoughts, I resumed to striding down the path as quickly as possible.

Between a couple of tree trunks, I saw a shadow moving.

Startled, I stopped to see more clearly, but by then, it was already gone. Thoroughly haunted, I strode on feeling nervous and tingly. I kept my eyes onto the trees. I knew I should've felt anxiety, but instead, my body was fizzing with excitement. Like it just couldn't wait to see a stranger stalking us to suddenly leap out and kill us.

"Monster?" I asked for clarification.

"Monster." Chara agreed. She seemed more amused than scared, really. Though once she noticed my expression, her smile dwindled down some. I couldn't tell if it was from reassurance or if she was actually dissatisfied with something.

And then not too far ahead, I saw a bridge. They were just a few wide, wooden planks overhanging a deep hole that practically screamed _DANGER!_ _Turn around!_ A sort of gate hung over the bridge, its bars shooting downwards to create a kind of trapped feeling. Like a jail. I was not eager to cross this thing.

Yet at the same time, I was fully aware of approaching footsteps coming from behind. They were muffled from the snow, but still fully audible. It was like they weren't even trying to be quiet. Maybe they knew their strength and speed. They knew that even if I ran away, they would be able to catch up to me. I had no escape!

Panicking, I turned to Chara for help, trying not to look behind me to see the approaching stranger. Chara only smirked slightly. "What happened to that 'being friends with everyone' charade?" She teased.

I felt like spitting. "Things have changed! I know better!" Quite certainly, for a fact. "But can't you help me now?"

Chara twirled her hair, and the footsteps behind me grew much louder. "You can't run. You can't hide. Then that only leaves you to fight."

"Fight?" I wasn't exactly sure, but it certainly seemed to be the only option. "Well, if you put it that way…"

" _Human._ " I almost jumped out of my skin at the sudden gruff voice behind me. " _Don't you know how to greet a new pal? Turn around and-_ "

I suddenly jumped around, toy knife in hand, pointed at the stranger threateningly. "Back off! Or I'll…" I paused as I took in the situation. It certainly wasn't what I had been expecting. I had been getting ready to meet a huge dinosaur with chainsaws head-on or something, but this…

It was just a shady dude standing there with a hand outstretched. He looked like some kind of back-alley drug dealer. The left hand was gloved. Not to mention he was short, not intimidating at all. Even his clothing choice was simple; a big blue jacket (with the hoodie over his head) and some black shorts with stripes on the sides. Although I quickly found myself questioning his footwear choice in this icy weather. Slippers, really? Obviously, this guy couldn't be taken too seriously.

"Careful." Chara warned. "More dangerous than he lets on."

I took in the warning, but couldn't help staring at the outstretched hand. What was he doing? I suddenly remembered him saying something, right before I had turned around to threaten him. Something about greeting new pals, and then turning around to…

" _...Shake my hand_." He finally said. I couldn't see, but for some reason, I knew he was grinning under the hoodie.

Was it dangerous? I stared at his hand for a couple of moments, analyzing dangerous points. Maybe he would choke my wrist. Maybe there were spikes in the palm of his hand. Or maybe he would electrocute me to death with a electrifier. Or maybe I was going nuts?

Trying to keep my sanity, I cast a confused glance in Chara's direction. After an obvious pause of uncertainty, she reluctantly nodded her head to signify it was safe. Not sure whether to feel relieved or more afraid, I turned back to the stranger and started to move my arm. I didn't want to rudely leave him there hanging. Just thinking about the nice ghost in the Ruins made me all the more determined to act like him.

I grasped the stranger's hand, felt something squishy, and a fart sounded out in the air. Surprised, I almost immediately let go of the hand. It was long, pitiful, and kinda squeaky. Was someone farting? It didn't sound real though. It took me a moment to realize it was coming from the handshake itself.

After a moment, it died away. Somehow finding the situation hilarious, I laughed. To see a stranger, to think they were dangerous, just to have them prank you with a whoopee cushion? I finally let go of the handshake, but I was still giggling, earning a disapproving look from Chara. Maybe I was crazy.

"Heheh…" The stranger laughed as well, his entire posture slackening with relief. I could tell that the scary tone he used earlier was gone, only to be replaced with a slightly more friendlier tone of voice. But still gruff. "the old whoopee cushion in the hand trick. It's _always_ funny." And then, he raised his arm. For a moment, I thought he would finally strike, but instead, he just brought the hand down upon his head to bring down the hoodie.

I froze. (Pun, maybe?) Somehow, I had expected to see a human's face. But that didn't make any sense, since I had already confirmed with Chara that this being was a monster.

So why did it surprise me so much when I saw a skeleton's face hiding beneath that hoodie?

And why was my heart racing so fast at just the mere sight of him?

I figured it was because I was scared. The skull was bone-white. Those big eye sockets weren't exactly comforting. Little pinpricks of light danced in them, and I figured they were his pupils. The skeleton's smile was stretched out into a permanent grin, a display of wide friendly teeth. I tried not to peer inside his nose hole. That was creepy thinking.

"Anyways, you're a human, right?"

I immediately stiffened, realizing that the skeleton was still a threat. A monster. I couldn't trust him. He could attack me at any moment. Once he realized I was a human and not a monster like all the others, he would surely-

"That's hilarious. I'm sans. Sans the skeleton."

I found myself blinking at his promptness, and at his unwillingness to start up a battle. What was he doing? Well… at least he had the nerve to introduce himself. No one else I've met so far had done so. Except for Chara. And Flowey. I decided not to think further than that.

"...so I've noticed." I eventually answered.

"Surprised?" He asked, no tone of friendliness gone, though he now seemed a bit unsettled. Chara seemed to be gaping next to me, but I was more focused on answering his question.

"...yes." I eventually admitted. Not just because he was a skeleton. But also because he found a humor in pranking people with whoopee cushions. Monsters were weird.

"well, I'm quite a sight for sore eyes."

I found myself laughing lightly at his comment. "Agreed."

"Im actually supposed to be on the watch for humans right now. But… y'know…" He diverted his eyes slightly. "i don't really care about capturing anybody."

Well that was a relief.

"Now my brother, papyrus… he's a human-hunting _fanatic_."

Scratch that. I'm so screwed.

"Hey actually, i think that's him over there."

Crap. I spun myself around, and saw a tall figure in the far distance. Was that his brother? Another skeleton, I assumed. Papyrus, huh? Definitely a strange name. And definitely dangerous.

Then a thought occurred to me. Was this just a well-planned trap? Had this skeleton been stalling me, just to gain time for the other one to catch up? The other one was quickly approaching, though he didn't seem to have noticed us yet. I started to spectate on how to get away. First, I would have to cross this dangerous-looking bridge.

"I have an idea." Sans gestured toward the bridge. "Go through this gate thingy."

I glared at him for stealing my idea. Chara gave me a look that suggested I would be stupid to accept his suggestion, and I signed the same expression back at the skeleton. Instead of seeming unsettled, his grin just grew wider.

"Yeah, go right through. My bro made the bars too wide to stop anyone."

That obviously hadn't been what I meant, but I didn't argue. His brother must've been pretty stupid to make such a useless gate trap. But I had to hurry before he made it here first. Swiftly crossing the bridge and trying not to look down, the skeleton followed behind me. After finally crossing, at which I breathed a sigh of relief, I was met with a clearing. There wasn't much time left.

"Quick," He told me. "Behind that conveniently-shaped lamp." Looking around, I quickly found a deformed purple-blue one ahead, sitting not too far away to the left. It was the only nearby thing I could hide behind. There was nothing else I could use for cover. Before I could even consider if the skeleton was trustworthy, I dashed to the lamp.

I had practically dived for cover, just as the 'Papyrus' guy walked into the clearing. For some reason, I noticed that the lamp was in the exact same shape as me. Height, shape, everything. It was pretty creepy. Chara was floating not too far away, and staring at the whole situation with a sense of distrust.

"'sup, bro?" That was Sans.

"YOU KNOW WHAT'S 'SUP', BROTHER!" And… that was a new voice. Extremely proud, and with a hint of annoyingness. I winced at the loudness for a moment before readjusting my ears to the change in tone. "IT'S BEEN EIGHT DAYS AND YOU STILL HAVEN'T RECALIBRATED YOUR PUZZLES! WHAT ARE YOU EVEN DOING?"

What puzzles? Feeling curious, I peeked out from behind the lamp. The two skeletons were facing each other. The new one, Papyrus, was much taller, and much more different-looking. His clothes were strange, a red scarf, gloves, and boots. Almost like a costume for a halloween party, except for the fact I couldn't tell what he was dressing up as. If the two weren't both skeletons, I would've had a hard time figuring out they were brothers.

"Staring at this lamp." I froze at Sans' words. "It's really cool. Do you wanna look?"

I could feel fury clawing up inside of me. He had tricked me! He had only staged me behind the lamp, so that he could keep me there before leading his brother to me. My anger was immediately replaced with fear, once I realized that Papyrus would surely come over to investigate. And once he noticed me, it would all be over…

"NO! I DON'T HAVE TIME FOR THAT!" Almost immediately, my fear was gone, to be replaced with relief. Sans' attempts were foiled. Though, if he really wanted his brother to find me, why didn't he just tell him?

"Can't trust him." Chara reminded me. "He's playing you for a fool."

"Right." I whispered back.

"...BATHE IN A SHOWER OF KISSES EVERY MORNING!" Papyrus crowed. I wasn't sure what to make of that. I had been so busy being relieved, I hadn't even heard his whole speech.

"Hmm…" Sans said thoughtfully, and I could tell he was scheming something. "Maybe this lamp will help you."

I could feel my fear rising again, but it was immediately countered by a comment from Papyrus. "SANS! YOU ARE NOT HELPING!" The skeleton started to stomp the ground, almost teeming with frustration. I felt like I could relate. "YOU LAZY BONES! ALL YOU DO IS SIT AND BOONDOGGLE! YOU GET LAZIER AND LAZIER EVERY DAY!"

Before I could wonder about Papyrus' made-up words, Sans was already talking, a devious grin on his face. "Hey, take it easy. I've got a _ton_ of work done today." His grin grew wider. "A skele- _ton_."

Oh my- was that a _pun_? In the next moment, I found myself bursting into uncontrollable giggles. This guy could do _jokes_! But almost immediately, I stopped myself. Reason one, because Chara was giving me the scariest glare I've ever seen. And secondly… had the other one heard me?

Apparently not. He was too busy being angry to hear me. "SANS!" He vented, annoyed.

"Come on." Sans spoke playfully, "You're smiling." I looked to the taller skeleton once again to see that he was, indeed, smiling a little bit.

Though I wasn't sure how I could tell anyways, since all their smiles were made of teeth. And since they were, technically, always smiling.

Curious to see how Chara was faring, I turned to see her expression. She seemed to be feeling very annoyed, a disapproving gaze pointed toward the smaller skeleton. Like Papyrus. Those two seemed pretty similar in personality.

"I AM AND I HATE IT!" Papyrus sighed. "WHY DOES SOMEONE AS GREAT AS ME HAVE TO DO SO MUCH JUST TO GET SOME RECOGNITION?..."

Sans shrugged. "Wow, sounds like you're really working yourself..." Sans sent a wink my way. "Down to the bone."

...that one was terrible. Yet, I could still barely suppress the rising bubble of laughter that arose in my chest. My chest felt fluttery. In the end, I just shook my head in amusement, barely holding back a snort. I didn't want to attract Papyrus' attention on accident.

"UGH! I WILL ATTEND TO MY PUZZLES! AS FOR YOUR WORK? PUT A LITTLE MORE..." I could feel mischief brewing. " _BACKBONE_ INTO IT!"

That was the last straw. I almost doubled over from the stream of terrible puns, feeling a little light-headed from all the laughs. It was too much, and way too good. They were too good at puns. I wasn't.

Papyrus seemed to be laughing with me as he started to stroll away in a dutiful way. "NYEHEHEHEHEHEH!" He went away. After a moment, I decided he was gone. Just as I was about to show myself from my hiding place, Papyrus made one last appearance. I froze just in time. "HEH!" Was all he said. Then he left again.

I waited longer this time, seeing if he would come back. Seeing my reluctance, Sans gestured to me. "Okay, you can come out now."

Making sure it wasn't a trap, I slowly revealed myself from my spot from behind the lamp. Papyrus made no third appearance, thankfully. I sighed in relief as Chara floated disapprovingly next to me.

"Well that was something." She remarked dryly.

"Yeah." I agreed.

"Kid, ya say something?" I snapped my head up to meet Sans' amused face.

"Uh, no!" I didn't need to let him know I was talking to ghost people now. He would think I was crazy.

...and just when did I care about what monsters thought of me? Right, I never did. I was just going to do what I pleased, thank you very much.

"Right. Well, you oughta get going. He might come back. And if he does…" He winked. "You'll have to sit through more of my hilarious jokes." At the sound of that, Chara quickly tried to motion me away. Maybe she didn't like puns.

I frowned at Sans, trying to suppress a smile. I didn't mind so much. "Why are you helping me?" I asked. "Or at least, trying but failing to?"

"..." He didn't answer to that.

I decided on a different question. "Why is your name _Sans_?" It sounded familiar, now that I thought about it. But my stupid amnesia brain couldn't remember. Ugh.

Sans raised an eyebrow bone. That didn't make sense. And I was pretty sure it wasn't physically possible… "What's the holdup? Look, there's nothin' to be afraid of."

"But what about the monsters?" I protested.

"Right. It's just a dark cavern filled with skeletons and horrible monsters." He teased.

"You're not horrible." I frowned. Only after saying it did I realize I meant it.

"He's only horrible at puns." Chara grumbled next to me.

"Never said I was." Sans grinned in response to my comment.

I stared at him, feeling uncertain. This monster was friendly and nice, not mean and murderous like all the other monsters I had met so far. Maybe he was different. Maybe I could trust him. The hope of being able to trust someone was worming its way up my brain, telling me that things were finally going to look up.

"Can't trust." Chara repeated in my ear.

Sans was staring back at me, and a tension of awkwardness was in the air. "...are you just gonna stare at me, or…?"

"Uh, right!" I waved my arms around, trying to break the tension. "Uh, I mean, no! Well, I mean… I'm just gonna go now!" I turned myself around before marching away in Papyrus' direction. Chara seemed to approve, and tried to speed things up by pushing me.

"Actually, hey…" Sans words stopped me, right before I left the clearing. "hate to bother ya, but I'm gonna be straight-forward with you."

"Well." I raised an eyebrow. "What is it?"

"Don't trust him!" Chara screeched.

"I was thinking… my brother'd really like to see a human. He's never seen a human before. So, y'know, it'd really help me out if…"

I contemplated this. After spending all that time trying to avoid him, I was just suddenly going to show myself? And risk getting myself killed? No, I didn't think so. Chara nodded at my decision, seeming pleased.

"Don't worry." Sans reassured me, trying to convince me to accept the offer. "He's not dangerous. Even when he tries to be."

I blinked at him, wondering if he was trustworthy. But was the problem really about how trustworthy he was? I could handle things, and I could protect myself. There wasn't much to worry about. After a moment, I came to a conclusion."Sure." I was going to have to meet him eventually, so what did it matter when I did? "' _Snow_ problem."

Sans chuckled, and I realized what I had just done. "Thanks a million." He grinned. "I'll be up ahead." And just like that, he walked away… in the other direction. Well, it was his own fault if he ended up in the wrong place.

Chara looked like she was fuming. "What was _that_?!"

"What was what?"

"That _terrible pun_!" She screeched. "He's such a bad influence! And not to mention the way you were talking with him!" She narrowed her eyes at me suspiciously. "Don't tell me you remember now…"

I froze, giving her a steely glare. "Remember what?"

Chara stopped for a moment before she went back to waving her arms in exasperation. "After telling you so many times that monsters couldn't be trusted, you still made a deal with him? That monster's a snitch! He's unpredictable! Can't you tell?"

Oh. "What? You made a deal with a murderous flower."

Chara was now shooting me ice daggers. With her eyes. "That's different."

"Don't see how." I shrugged, moving forwards. "And anyways, it wasn't really a deal. Meeting Papyrus was bound to happen anyway. I was just speeding up the inevitable."

Chara seemed to be in thought. "...speeding up the inevitable." She grinned. "I see what you mean."

"See? No harm done." I suddenly stopped. "Wait, what _do_ you see, exactly?"

"What you see." She answered simply, smiling deviously.

I blinked at her, unsure. "Which is?..."

Chara avoided the question with another comment. _16 left._

* * *

 **Welp, that went relatively well.**


	7. No Sense of Humer

The monsters in these areas were new. They ranged from ugly white chickens to icicles with hats. Therefore, their attacks were new as well. Harder to dodge, harder to see them coming. But not much harder. After all, Chara was always helping me. Lately, I've been allowing her to sharpen my senses and control them. Battles are always easier with her help. My mind is clearer, attacks are easier to predict, and I'm never slowed down by getting hit. Chara seems to be right, we do make a good team. After all, she's always right.

We found an orange box with red stripes, and inside was a Cinnamon Roll shaped like a bunny; a Cinnamon Bunny, Chara told me. She then advised me to take it, and I did. And feeling slightly hungry, I ate it. It was yummy, and made me feel warm inside.

"Monster food." Chara explained. "Magic."

Not to far ahead, we come upon the skeletons once again. For some reason, Sans was already there. But how? I was pretty sure he had went in the other direction… so how had he ended up here? He's just messing with me.

"SO SANS! WHEN'S THE NEW HUMAN SHOWING UP? I WANT TO LOOK MY SUNDAY BEST…" He paused. "OR AT LEAST MY TUESDAY PRETTY-GOOD." He put in as an afterthought.

"Don't you only have one outfit?"

"YEAH, BUT I COULD STYLE MY HAIR!"

I couldn't help it, but I laughed. For some reason, Chara laughed with me. Maybe she was finally releasing her funny bone and succumbing to the stupidity of the skeletons.

Papyrus heard the laughing, and he turned around. Surprise seemed to flash on his expression before he expectantly turned back to Sans. Sans turned to him, but by then, Papyrus was back to facing me again. This cycle continued, until they were turning so fast, it didn't even make sense. Eventually, they seemed so confused, they actually started to spin in useless circles. It was hilarious.

"SANS! OH MY GOSH!" He put his hand up to his head. "I'M DIZZY. WHAT AM I LOOKING AT?"

"behold."

I waited to see if understanding would register on the skeleton's face, but he only continued to look on with confusion. "OH MY GOSH! IS THAT… A ROCK?"

"yes."

Wait, _what?_ So apparently, I was a _rock_ now? That was an outright insult!

Chara poked me in the shoulder before pointing behind me. I turned myself around to find a rather-large rock sitting in the middle of the path. So the whole time, Papyrus hadn't even noticed me?

Was he just _stupid_ or something?

"OH."

"Hey, what's that in front of the rock?"

"OH MY GOSH!" Papyrus shouted excitedly, before confusion covered his expression again. "...I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT THAT IS."

I slapped my forehead. He didn't even _know_ what a human looked like? Well, Sans had mentioned Papyrus never seeing many humans before, so that kinda explained things. Chara seemed just as annoyed. She gave me a look that said, _told-you-so._ But Sans was right. This guy wasn't dangerous at all, even when he tried to be.

"Well." Sans commented, trying to get Papyrus to figure out the details. "It's not a-"

"NO, WAIT!" Understanding seemed to flash in Papyrus' eyes. "I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, HAVE ALREADY FIGURED OUT THIS CONUNDRUM ALL ON MY OWN! SEE, BY PROCESS OF ELIMINATION! THAT IS A HUMAN!" How in the world had he come to that conclusion?

"Great job, bro." He was keeping his replies short, I noticed.

"OH MY GOSH!" Papyrus shouted, for what was probably like, the fourth time in a row. "SANS! I FINALLY DID IT! UNDYNE WILL… I'M GONNA… I'LL BE SO… POPULAR!" He seemed so excited, I wasn't sure how to react. This was kinda stupid. And what was this so-called _Undyne_?

"AHEM! HUMAN! YOU SHALL NOT PASS THIS AREA! I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, WILL STOP YOU! PREPARE YOURSELF! FOR HIGH JINKS! FOR LOW JINKS!"

"Low jynx?" I frowned at Chara.

"Jinks." She corrected.

Papyrus started to list a whole bunch of things I would have to face. "DANGERS! PUZZLES! CAPERS! JAPERS! BEING CAPTURED! AND OTHER SORTS OF FUN ACTIVITIES." He paused before adding, "REFRESHMENTS WILL BE PROVIDED…"

"Sounds great." I yawned.

"IN ANY CASE! CONTINUE… ONLY IF YOU DARE!" He ran from the clearing laughing, "NYEH HEH HEH HEH HEH!"

Sans watched Papyrus run away before facing me. "Well, that went well. Sortof."

I raised an eyebrow. "I dunno if that was worth it or not."

"Don't sweat it, kid." He winked. "I'll keep an eye socket out for ya." Then he trudged ahead, leaving me behind with Chara again.

"Well," I shrugged. "At least he's good at making up words."

"Jinks _is_ a word." Chara replied unamusingly. "J-I-N-K-S. Jinks."

"I wasn't talking about that. I was talking about the capers and japers."

Chara frowned. "Oh, that. Well, I'm pretty sure a caper is a fruit or something. But a japer?..."

"Sounds like…" I decided not to finish the thought.

"C'mon." Chara smirked. "Let's go on ahead and see what other made-up words he has for us."

We passing a not-so-well crafted sentry station, met new enemies, and killed a dog that couldn't see still things. It was easy with Chara's help. I only needed her with me to survive in the Underground. Really, I needed no one else.

And later, we received some very unhandy advice from Sans. He seemed uneasy about something, but was still eager to try to help us. There was a tone of hope in his voice. I wondered what it was about. And then, of course, in the midst of the conversation, he popped in a pun.

Let's just say that I laughed a lot longer than I should've.

"What a loser." Chara mumbled. I couldn't tell if she was talking about Sans or me.

After that, we met a Snowman. It talked to us, and told us to take a piece of him. At first, I thought he was just another waste of time. That is, until Chara told me some important information.

"His snow can heal you." Let's just say that after that, I didn't hesitate to take as many pieces of him as I wanted. After all, we were fighting monsters! We needed that snow to heal ourselves up. We needed the snow more than the snowman. He was making a worthy sacrifice for us. He should feel proud. I ignored his pleading, and left only the carrot behind on the ground. Chara seemed pleased by our new items.

And then, we met Papyrus again. Across a wide, cleared out area free of snow, were the two infamous skeleton brothers. They seemed to be bickering about something.

"YOU'RE SO LAZY!" Papyrus groaned. "YOU WERE NAPPING ALL NIGHT!"

"I think that's called… sleeping." Oh. Of course.

"EXCUSES, EXCUSES!" Papyrus suddenly sighed. "BUT REALLY THOUGH! THAT HUMAN! DO I... KNOW THAT PERSON?"

I tilted my head in confusion. Of course he knew me! Well, at least he did now. Unless, he had meant it in a different way...

Sans wiggled his eyebrows. "Do you not know… who you know?"

"PBPBPPBPT! OF COURSE I KNOW WHO I KNOW! I JUST WANTED TO KNOW IF YOU KNOW I KNOW WHO I KNOW AS MUCH AS I KNOW I KNOW WHO I KNOW! ...YOU KNOW?" My head felt a little spun around from all the "know's," but I figured I should've seen it coming, since hanging around Papyrus didn't seem to always leave the most positive after-effects.

He finally noticed us. "OH-HO! THE HUMAN ARRIVES!" He cleared his throat. Or… where his throat should be. I wasn't entirely sure skeletons could clear throats. "IN ORDER TO STOP YOU… MY BROTHER AND I HAVE CREATED SOME PUZZLES!"

I gave Chara a look, and she sighed. "We don't have time for this." I couldn't help agreeing.

"THERE STILL A FEW KINKS WE NEED TO WORK OUT, BUT I THINK YOU WILL FIND THIS ONE… QUITE SHOCKING!" Was that a pun? "FOR YOU SEE, THIS IS THE INVISIBLE ELECTRICITY MAZE!"

"Invisible, huh?" I smirked. "Does that mean I can walk right across without getting shocked?"

"There's only one way to find out." Chara grinned in response.

I took a few steps forward, and finding no resistance, I walked all the way to the middle of the clearing.

"WHEN YOU TOUCH THE WALLS OF THIS, MAZE… THEN…" He paused uncomfortably, seeming unsure about what to do, since I had already walked right into the middle of it. "UHHHH…?"

"Sorry for interrupting your lovely speech, Paps."

"HMMM…" Papyrus seemed to be deep in thought. "YOU MUST BE HAVING CULTURAL SHOCK." Was that _another_ pun? I thought this skeleton didn't like them. "YOU SEE, WHERE I COME FROM, IT'S A LOVING TRADITION."

"Where _did_ you come from?" I asked him. "Skeleton-ville?"

"...TO SUFFER THROUGH HORRIBLE PUZZLES FOR NO REASON!" He cheered, ignoring my comment.

"That?" I pointed to the 'invisible maze.' "Yeah. Real horrible." I took a step more forward, trying to reach the other side, and possibly walk past the skeletons first.

He didn't seem to catch the sarcasm. "WHY, THANK YOU, HUMAN! BUT NOW, COULD YOU PLEASE JUST WALK BACK THERE, AND… UH…"

I stayed rooted to the spot, ignoring Sans' pointed glare. What was this nonsense to him, anyway? Did he hate it too? He never seemed to like it much. And Papyrus was constantly pestering him too. Maybe he was like me. After all, Sans hadn't even hurt me once yet. He was a good guy.

After a moment, Papyrus sighed resignedly. "WHY DOESN'T _THIS_ HUMAN LIKE PUZZLES?" He trotted away quickly, seeming a bit angry about the whole situation.

Sans gave me a very long look. "It would make my brother happy if you played along." He finally said.

"What do I care about your brother? You just told me to meet him, not to play with him. And anyways, what's it in for you? All he does is drop insults on you."

Sans froze. "Man, my brother is cool, isn't he?" It wasn't really a question. It was laced with power, and it seemed to be more of an order.

Well, I wasn't going to be following orders from a skeleton. But I wasn't going to get on his bad side either. "Later." I waved.

* * *

More monsters. More dust. But more gold. And definitely more _power._

I can feel it. The more I kill, the stronger I get. This isn't just a defense mechanism anymore, it's a power grinder. Something inside me tells me to stop, but I can't. It's too late now. And with Chara's persuasion, I decide that it's fine. Who cares what I do? After all, I have to do whatever it takes so that I can to make it out of the Underground. To go back "home," or wherever that is.

"Gaining LOVE has never been easier." Chara grinned. "Because in this world, it's kill or be killed. Take it to heart, partner."

Then of course, we were interrupted from our killing spree from meeting Papyrus. _Again._ He was really starting to become a pain in the butt.

"HUMAN! I HOPE YOU'RE READY FOR…" He paused, examining the clearing around us. "SANS! WHERE'S THE PUZZLE!"

"It's right there. On the ground." Confused, I stared at the spot in front of him. There was only a piece of soggy paper. It looked like there was print on it. I walked up to it, examining the so-called puzzle. It was just a word search. How in the world was this supposed to stop me?

Papyrus seemed to agree. "SANS! WHY ARE YOU USING THIS ONE _AGAIN_? I THOUGHT WE ALREADY AGREED THAT JUNIOR JUMBLE WAS THE HARDEST!" What in the world was Junior Jumble? I felt like I was constantly missing out on things.

"Oh, whoops. I knew I should've put that one down instead."

"WHAT? THIS IS RIDICULOUS, BROTHER! WHY DIDN'T YOU PLAN FOR THIS EARLIER?"

"...Must've slipped my mind."

"YOU'RE HOPELESS!" Papyrus pointed in my direction. "NOW, HUMAN! I KNOW THIS PUZZLE DID NOT MEET YOUR EXPECTATIONS! HOWEVER! THE NEXT ONE WILL SURELY CONFOUND YOU! JUST YOU WATCH!" He quickly ran away, probably to go create his puzzle.

"Guess you don't like word searches, huh?" Sans asked me after Papyrus was gone.

I was about to answer yes, until my brain told me otherwise. "Uh… I think I like them. But I guess I just don't want to do one now."

"Huh." Sans shrugged. "well, i'm more of a funny pages kind of guy." He stared on uneasily, and I decided to leave him in peace.

* * *

 _8 left._

I blinked at Chara as I walked, ignoring the plate of frozen spaghetti to my left. "Why do you always do that now?"

"Do what?"

"Say a number, then say left. What happened to the determination thing? And describing the possibilities that mice could give when exposed to cheese?"

"That was just for fun." Chara replied. "Now I'm being serious. The number just represents how many more we need to kill to maximize the greatest amount of experience we can receive from an area."

I frowned. "There's actually a number for that?"

"Yes."

"...ok then."

Then went the killing of more dogs. Why were there so many dogs? Maybe dogs liked snow. It was annoying. But no matter how many there were, there was always more. Some with axes, some with armor, and some that were just purely stupid.

All the puzzles ahead of us were completed, except for one. "IT IS STILL BEING UPGRADED TO LOOK LIKE MY FACE!" Papyrus had said. I decided not to question it.

Papyrus lead me to some tiles on the ground. They were dull and discolored, with many shades of grey and white. Sans was standing on the other side of the clearing. "HUMAN, YOU'RE GONNA LOVE THIS PUZZLE!" Papyrus ran over to Sans' side. "IT WAS MADE BY THE GREAT-"

Curious to see their reactions, I walked right into the middle of the tiles.

Papyrus gaped before making a face. "ARE YOU SERIOUS?" He turned to Sans. "SANS! HELP! THEY KEEP WALKING THROUGH MY PUZZLES! THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO LET ME EXPLAIN THEM, THEN LET ME THREATEN AND BAFFLE THEM WITH DANGEROUS JAPES!"

"There goes the japing again." I whispered to Chara.

"Well," Sans seemed to be coming up with an reason for my behavior. "maybe they don't like japes."

That certainly wasn't the reason. Papyrus seemed to agree. "EVERYONE LIKES JAPES!" But… that wasn't a reason either.

"what about Undyne? Doesn't she hate puzzles?" This Undyne thing again?

"SHE HATES PUZZLES." Papyrus admitted freely. "BUT SHE LOVES JAPES!"

"Could someone please explain what japes are?"

"that makes sense." Sans replied to Papyrus, ignoring me.

"HUMAN! WHAT DO YOU THINK!? PUZZLES OR JAPES?" He waited a moment for me to respond, and I looked to Chara for advice as to how to answer.

"Definitely Japes." Chara answered.

"But we don't even know what they are!"

"But do you really want to choose _puzzles_?"

I must've taken too long, because Papyrus started to get impatient. "OKAY, THIS IS NORMALLY THE PART WHERE YOU EITHER AGREE OR DISAGREE."

"Oh, I can disagree?" That made life easier. I thought I was going to have to choose one.

"AND DEPENDING ON YOUR ANSWER, WE SAY SOMETHING GREAT IN RESPONSE!"

"Ok." I took a deep breath. "Then I disagree!"

The four of us just stared at one another like stupid idiots before Papyrus left a piece of paper on the ground. "HERE, WHY DON'T YOU DO THIS PUZZLE YOURSELF." Then he strided away.

Confused at the events that happened, I moved forward to examine the piece of paper. At first glance, it seemed to be a kind of manual. Then I realized it was just chicken scratch.

Literally. It looked like a chicken had scratched it all up. Now, it was illegible.

"hey." Sans spoke to get my attention. "Puzzles might be fun. If you tried them."

I smirked. "Have _you_ tried them?"

Sans blinked back. He didn't answer. I decided not to wait for an unresponsive skeleton to speak, as it would waste my time, so I just moved on. I had some monsters to kill.

 _5 left._

After sliding across a huge slab of ice and almost losing my balance, I went back to my monster hunting spree. Sans met us once, to give us words of memorability.

"What's up?" Reeeaal memorable.

And then, I met him again. "...are you following me?" He asked teasingly.

"No…"

I killed some moose, another dog, and some really weird tanky monster with long arms. He couldn't do anything to me, but to make it fair, I couldn't really do much to him. It took forever to kill him.

For some reason, Chara was still thinking about Sans. She seemed especially annoyed by him. "That comedian…" She grumbled under her breath.

When we were finally finished with our spree, Chara lead me onto a long bridge. It was made of wood; frail, and blowing from the wind. Everything on it creaked and moaned, like one extra pound would be enough to make it collapse. But finding no choice, I boarded it.

Only to find Papyrus blocking the end. A smirk was on his face, and I wondered if I had just played right into his hands. Was he going to cut the bridge? Was I going to fall to my death? I started to turn around, hoping to get away. "HUMAN! THIS IS YOUR FINAL AND MOST DANGEROUS CHALLENGE! BEHOLD! THE GAUNTLET OF DEADLY TERROR!"

Suddenly, the most ridiculous weapons I'd ever seen rose and descended upon the bridge. There were cannons, fire, spikes, and… dogs. Wow. Just wow. Like, seriously?

"WHEN I SAY THE WORD, IT WILL FULLY ACTIVATE! EACH PART WILL SWING VIOLENTLY UP AND DOWN! ARE YOU READY? BECAUSE!" He took a deep breath. "I AM! ABOUT. TO DO IT!"

I waited tensely, holding onto the bridge as not to fall over. The weapons didn't move. In fact, they stayed completely still. Except for the dog, who was barking.

"Well?" Sans asked, amused. "What's the holdup?"

"HOLDUP? ...WHAT HOLDUP? I'M… I'M ABOUT TO DO IT NOW!"

Still, nothing. Chara gave me a grin, and I realized what was up. The guy was so stupid, he didn't even know how to activate his own puzzles!

"That doesn't look very activated." I told Papyrus smugly.

"WELL!" Papyrus spoke, seeming to come up with an excuse. "...THEY'RE PROBABLY GOING TO WALK THROUGH IT AGAIN. AND IT WON'T BE ANY FUN AT ALL."

"Isn't that the whole point of this puzzle?" I asked, exasperated. "For me to walk through?"

"Hmmm…" Sans said thoughtfully. "So this human thing was a bust, huh?"

"WELL. I MEAN. I'M EXCITED TO CAPTURE THEM. SO I'LL BECOME A FAMOUS ROYAL GUARDSMAN! BUT ALL THE TIME I PUT INTO THESE PUZZLES… IT'S KIND OF LIKE THROWING A BIRTHDAY PARTY."

"Loser." Chara smirked.

"Without traps and fire?" Sans teased.

"EXACTLY! IT'S POINTLESS! MAYBE YOU WERE RIGHT TO BE LAZY ABOUT PUZZLES."

"really? the others seemed to like it enough."

Papyrus seemed to hesitate for a moment. "...YEAH! WHAT AM I SAYING?! YOU'RE COMPLETELY RIGHT! I JUST HAVE THE WRONG AUDIENCE! THINK ABOUT HOW MUCH FUN UNDYNE AND THE OTHER HUMANS WOULD HAVE HERE!"

" _Other humans_?" I repeated, wondering if I had heard correctly.

"FLAMES AND VIOLENCE! IT'S PERFECT! SO I WON'T WASTE THIS PUZZLE ON YOU. I JUST HAVE TO APPRECIATE THE FRIENDS I ALREADY HAVE!" The weapons went away, and I found myself sighing in relief, despite the harmless outlook of it. "PHEW!" Papyrus sighed. "A VALUABLE LIFE LESSON!"

"What an idiot." Chara noted.

"But he's right." I said back.

"THAT IS RIGHT, HUMAN!" Papyrus laughed happily as he ran away. "NYEH HEH HEH!"

"How in the world is he right?" Chara asked as I made my way across the bridge.

"He said to not waste your life on other people, but to appreciate the friends you already have." I looked to Chara. "And I have you."

Realization dawned on Chara's face, and she grinned. "Yeah, you do. We'll always be together, partner."

I was now finally off the darned bridge. "Hmmm…" Sans mused, facing me. "Guess we didn't need your help to have a good time after all."

"Glad to hear it."

"...say, i've been thinking. Seems like you're gonna fight my brother pretty soon."

"Huh." If Papyrus was so intent on stopping me, then I would have no choice but to fight him. I couldn't let him get in the way. "...Yeah." Now thinking on it, I wondered how much EXP he would give me. And how much relief it would be to bring that mess out of this world. Chara poked my shoulder in warning, and I returned my attention to Sans. "So?"

Sans winked. "Here's some friendly advice. If you keep going the way you are now…" His eye sockets turned dark, black as night. "You're gonna have a bad time."

I could feel shivers going up my spine. A blink later, he was gone.


	8. Bye bye, Papy!

**Welp, enough stalling. It's time we got this dreaded chapter out.**

* * *

"Well, that was creepy." I said, heading forwards.

"Don't let it frighten you." Chara responded simply. "Ignore him for the time being. Right now, we have to face the other dumb skeleton."

"Right." I passed by a welcoming sign, and entered into what seemed to be a town. Little buildings lined themselves to the left, and everywhere else was covered with snow. There were structures everywhere, but no people. Er… monsters. Where was everyone? It was like an abandoned town, eerie and quiet.

 _Determination._ Chara whispered.

The first building I approached was a shop. On the counter was a note, which I ignored. I waited at the front desk for a storekeeper to show up, but nobody came. That's when I figured there wasn't one. Not feeling particularly guilty, since I didn't want to waste the store products, I took all the gold behind the counter. It was their own fault if they decided to leave it behind. Along with the gold were a couple more Cinnamon Bunnies and popsicles stuck together into pairs. Behind that, there were also a couple of bandanas and gloves.

"Just take a bandanna." Chara told me. "There's no use for the gloves. Take as much of everything else as you can."

I frowned. "As much as I can?"

"Why not? The shopkeeper won't be coming back."

I decided that what Chara said made sense, so I took a bandanna and stole a couple more buns and popsicles.

"How do you know they won't be coming back?"

"I know everything, partner."

Well, I was going to have to take her word for it. After all, she had never really been wrong before. Stuffing as much food as I could into my pockets, I started to eat one of the buns. It was still yummy, with the perfect amounts of cinnamon and sugar. The bread was soft and chewy, overall, a very good cinnamon bun.

"Where to now?" I asked Chara, stepping out the shop.

"Left." She said, pointing east. "To the box."

I headed to the familiar-looking box and peered inside. There were ballet shoes. "What are these for?"

"They improve your attack." Chara answered. "They deal more damage, since they're kinda pointy. Of course, you can still keep the toy knife, but I doubt you can swing and kick at the same time."

"Right." I nodded.

"Also, put the Snowman piece in the box. You won't need it for now, and it's just making your pockets heavy."

"What about the fight with Papyrus?" I frowned.

"Trust me, you won't need them."

I nodded slowly. Then I reached into my pocket to take out a slightly melting Snowman Piece. Depositing it into the box, I traded it out for the ballet shoes, and then I worked to untie the tennis shoes from my socked feet. "Where to after?"

"Igloo." Chara replied. "A little further ahead."

With ballet shoes on and tied, I threw my old shoes into the box. Maybe I could come back for them later, when all this monster killing was over. I then took a few steps forward, testing out the new shoes. They were more prone to cold, but I had to admit they made me feel incredibly dangerous.

I found the igloo, and stepped in, only to immediately slip. Yelping, I felt my behind drop onto the frozen ice as I slid forward into the darkness, further and further away from where I had entered. I felt myself starting to panick. "Ch-Chara!"

"Don't worry, I'm here." She was still floating next to me as I slid down the ice, and into the darkness. "This is just a shortcut."

The mention of shortcuts brought a chill up my spine, but I supposed it was because my behind was sliding across cold ice. When light started to appear in the direction of my destination, I sighed in relief.

Once I was finally out and exited through another igloo like the first, I patted my behind. It was cold as a popsicle. Sighing in defeat, I observed my surroundings. To my left was a large wooden shed, and to my right was a huge cabin. It was very well decorated and pretty.

"Do I explore these buildings?" I asked Chara.

"They're both locked." She answered promptly.

"...oh."

"There's nothing left for us to accomplish in this town. All we can do is to continue moving forwards, and find Papyrus."

"Okie." I continued through the snow, ballet shoes tromping through and my butt still feeling considerably frozen. I was never going to ride through that igloo thing again.

As I moved on, the snow started to fall faster. The wind blew stronger, the flakes grew wilder. Soon, giant drifts of snow were flying my way. It was like a blizzard. Chara seemed unaffected, since she was a ghost. But I had no satisfying layers of clothes. The cold seemed to pierce straight into my skin.

Ahead, there was a tall, black figure that stood out against all the snow. It looked a lot like Papyrus. I stopped once I was close enough to see his red scarf waving in the wind. I was going to have to be careful. It was a good thing Sans warned me about his blue attacks.

"HALT, HUMAN!" The annoying voice confirmed the fact that he was, indeed, Papyrus. Deciding not to obey his commands, I took a couple more steps forward. "HEY, QUIT MOVING WHILE I'M TALKING TO YOU! I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, HAVE SOME THINGS TO SAY. FIRST; YOU'RE A FREAKING WEIRDO!"

"So you're not?" I smirked, feeling Chara's amused gaze on me.

Papyrus continued his speech. "NOT ONLY DO YOU NOT LIKE PUZZLES. BUT THE WAY YOU SHAMBLE AROUND FROM PLACE TO PLACE, THE WAY YOUR HANDS ARE ALWAYS COVERED IN DUSTY POWDER."

What was he talking about? Looking down at my clothes, I suddenly realized that he was right. I hadn't even noticed. My clothes had gotten so dusty from all the monster corpses that even someone as dumb as Papyrus had noticed. Feeling slightly disgusted, I started to pat down my pants. Now he knew the truth. Was he going to try to kill me now, instead of throwing useless puzzles everywhere?

I tried to keep my cool. "So?"

"IT FEELS… LIKE YOUR LIFE IS GOING DOWN A DANGEROUS PATH." Papyrus' gaze suddenly changed from aggressive to sympathetic. "HOWEVER! I, PAPYRUS, SEE GREAT POTENTIAL WITHIN YOU! EVERYONE CAN BE A GREAT PERSON IF THEY TRY!"

I felt a little shocked. "Are you suggesting the fact that I'm _bad_?"

Chara shook her head. "That naive idiot."

"AND ME, I HARDLY HAVE TO TRY AT ALL! NYEH HEH HEH!"

This was dumb, so absurdly dumb. If the skeleton couldn't see all the good things I was doing by eradicating the monsters to make the humans' world a safer place, then he was just going to die at my hands as well.

I stepped forward, and Papyrus' brow immediately frowned in worry. "HEY, QUIT MOVING! THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT! HUMAN! I THINK YOU'RE IN NEED OF GUIDANCE! SOMEONE NEEDS TO KEEP YOU ON THE STRAIGHT AND NARROW!"

"Me? In need of _guidance_?" I almost laughed at the stupidity. " _I_ have _Chara_. You? You have _no one_. _You're_ the one that needs guidance."

Papyrus blinked at me in confusion for a few moments, like he wanted to protest. "WHO IS THIS 'CHARA'?"

Chara hissed at me, and I realized I had just done something Chara hadn't wanted me to do. "Chara is a tree." I quickly lied. I couldn't tell if Chara was relieved or even more unamused. Her expression told me that she was disappointed in the fact that I had resorted to calling her a shrub.

"OH." Papyrus mused. "THAT IS OKAY, HUMAN! I HAVE TREE FRIENDS TOO!"

"You have _tree friends_?"

"SO WE BOTH HAVE SOMETHING IN COMMON!" Papyrus cheered. "WELL WORRY NOT! I, PAPYRUS, WILL GLADLY BE YOUR FRIEND AND TUTOR! I WILL TURN YOUR LIFE RIGHT AROUND!"

"There's no need. It's already going the right way." I stepped forward lightly, trying out the balance of my new shoes. How much damage would they inflict?

"I SEE YOU ARE APPROACHING. ARE YOU OFFERING A HUG OF ACCEPTANCE?" Only naive Papyrus would think I was about to do that. But no, he was wrong, as usual. "WOWIE! MY LESSONS ARE ALREADY WORKING! I, PAPYRUS, WELCOME YOU WITH OPEN ARMS!" He lifted his arms up in a welcoming manner, friendliness and hope filling up his face.

For the slightest moment, I felt doubtful. He was giving me mercy. I could leap right into those arms, be filled with his embrace, and-

 _No_ , no. That was wrong. Just the slight though of rebellion was enough to make me feel guilty. I couldn't trust monsters. He would probably just slice me at the last moment, betraying me. That's just like something monsters would do. After all, look at Toriel. Just thinking about what she had done made wary shivers go up my spine. I couldn't take the chance.

Stiffening, I felt my soul draw out, and I flew up into the air. Was Papyrus engaging a battle? Of course, once he has seen my resilience, he'll know he has no other choice. So now he was showing his true motives.

I waited for him to make his first move, but he just stood there with a hopeful expression on his face, still reaching his hands out to me. Waiting for me to take his so-called mercy. But it was all a lie, I knew. Right?

"Go ahead." Chara goaded me. "Attack him." I nodded.

It was now time to test out my new shoes. I approached Papyrus quickly, and his gaze glowed with happiness. He thought I was about to hug him. Well, he was wrong.

I quickly wiped that look off his face when I kicked him straight in the face, with three successive hits. His face was shocked, uncertain. A moment later, his head fell off.

I practically froze myself. I hadn't dismembered him or anything! That is, unless he was so weak that a single attack could kill him.

Papyrus was still holding his head in his hands. Literally. It was so creepy. "W-WELL, THAT'S NOT WHAT I EXPECTED..." It wasn't what I expected either, truth to be told. Papyrus' body suddenly faded, only leaving behind his head, laying alone in the cold. Falling snow was already starting to cover his head, but he kept talking. "BUT… ST...STILL! I BELIEVE IN YOU!" I stepped over to his head, which was still stubbornly speaking. I was growing sick of him. "YOU CAN DO A LITTLE BIT BETTER. EVEN IF YOU DON'T THINK SO!"

I felt conflicted. I had no idea what he was talking about, yet I felt as if everything he said made sense. It felt like there was hope for me. But what hope did I need? No, he was just making me confused. He was making me feel strange. I couldn't let him do that to me.

"I… I PROMISE-" I cut him off as I smashed my foot onto his head, and he disintegrated beneath me into just another pile of dust. My soul retreated into my body, signifying the end of the battle. A bit of sadness crept into me, but I quickly pushed it away.

"So." I regarded Chara, dismissing the dust below my foot. "Did that give me a lot of experience?"

Chara didn't answer my question, but grinned amusedly at me. "That was brutal."

I felt a need to defend myself. "I needed to shut him up."

"So you did." Chara noted, a playful tone in her voice. "I'm proud of you, partner."

My stomach was telling me otherwise, but I felt somewhat accomplished. "'Glad I could meet your expectations."

"Hmph, well you're definitely better than the last…" Chara paused uncertainly, not continuing with her thought. Before I could even question her, she was already moving onto a different statement. "And see? You're so strong now that you could defeat him in one hit."

I nodded slowly, and looked down at the dust. "But I was hoping he could be more of a challenge."

"Don't we all." Chara grinned before looking at the dust with me. "Hey, what's that red stuff?"

"Red?" I froze, looking around for signs of blood, but all I found was a red scarf half-buried in the snow. I sighed in relief. "It's just Papyrus' scarf. Don't scare me like that!"

"Scare you?" Chara smirked. "Blood _scares_ you?"

"No! I was just… ugh! Nevermind." I bent down to scoop the scarf up in my hands. It was wide and long, and decently thick. It would certainly help in this snowstorm. I tied it around my neck, almost feeling immediately warmer. It was so long, it touched the ground. Or maybe it was just because I was short.

"Looks good on you." She complimented.

"Thanks."

"Well, it looks like we're done here. So we have two choices." She pointed from where we came. "Head back to town and warm up, or…" Chara pointed to the east. "Go forwards and continue on your journey. Which will it be?"

"Does it matter, really?" Chara shook her head. "Then I guess I would prefer to go back. I'm feeling kinda chilled to the bone."

Only after saying it did I realize what I had said. Chara gave me a death glare. "Do you _want_ to die?"

I chuckled nervously, trying to push it off as a joke. "I was only kidding with ya."

Chara turned to the west and moved forward, unsettled. "Don't do that again."

I paused uncertainly before following Chara. I didn't want her to be mad. "Okay. I won't."

"Good." Chara floated ahead, leading me through the blizzard and back to the town. A little while later, the snowstorm turned to nothing more than just a light sprinkle, and we were back in town. It felt good to be safe and warm. Safe to be in town, warm in the red scarf. No wonder Papyrus wore it all the time.

Once we were at the igloo, Chara beckoned me to enter, but I refused.

"I am _not_ going through that thing again."

Chara grinned. "Suit yourself."

Huffing and lifting my chin up in defiance, I moved past the shed and igloo, passing by the cabin. It all gave off a Christmas feeling, and the lights inside were bright and welcoming. It looked invitingly warm. "Are you _sure_ it's not locked?"

Chara paused for a moment before shrugging. "Well, it was before. Although I must say, I'm not sure now. You can go and try."

"No harm in that." I agreed, going up the steps and moving to the brown door. I reached out for the handle, turning it. It was locked. "Welp, no harm done." Sighing, I started to move off the steps, about to tell Chara how I had failed the mission to open the door.

That is, until the door opened on its own.

" _Papyrus_?! Are you-"

Who said that? I turned around, and realized that the door hadn't opened on its own. In fact, it had been opened by another human!

Another _human_! It was a girl, wearing a purple jacket and staring at me with shock. I smiled in delight at the realization, hope filling me up again. I had another chance! I was given another chance to work with the people that could turn into my friends. I couldn't let this go to waste.

"Hello!" I introduced myself. "I'm Frisk. Do you live here?"

An incredulous look traced its way up her face. I wondered what was wrong with her. "W-what?"

Maybe she had short reaction time. "Do you live here?" I repeated.

"W-what, no! Papyrus does!" Oh. "And speaking of him… just _what_ are you doing with his scarf?"

Chara gave me a look. _Lie._ She commanded. "Uhhhh he gave it to me. Because I was cold."

"He's still alive?!"

"Uh… yes?"

The girl took a huge sigh of relief. "Huh. I guess that seems just like him." She narrowed her eyes suddenly. "But he never takes that thing off, unless he's dating me. What in the world did you do to persuade him?"

I blinked, confused. I decided to let go of the dating comment, for now. "Well, what are _you_ doing in his house?"

Her face slowly turned a bright red. "H-huh?"

"If this is really his house, then what are you doing here? Isn't it dangerous?"

"Dangerous?" A knowingness radiated off her figure. "So you know all about it. That one person who's killing everyone…" Her face scrunched up in uneasiness. "And to think it would be one of us…"

I was confused. "What in the heck are you talking about? What do you mean by 'one of us?'"

She frowned noticeably. "C'mon, let's get you in here. Then we can catch you up with details." She turned around from the doorway, looking into the house. "Hey, Sans! What are you up to?"

I froze. " _Sans_ is here?"

Chara seemed just as frozen. " _No_! Not that _comedian_!"

The girl turned back to me. "Yes." She tilted her head. "Is that a problem?"

"Is it safe?"

"Is it safe?" She repeated. "Of course it is. At least, it is inside. But it isn't outside. You never know when that person's going to strike. Now stop standing there and get in! You look like a popsicle." She retreated into the warm home, and slightly confused, I followed her in.

It wasn't what I had expected, yet it was everything I wanted. The ground was patterned in wavy lines of blue and purple. A simple kitchen was ahead of me. A big green couch sat to the left, inviting me to sit down. It was a strange color choice. In front of it was a TV, seemingly off for the moment. Past that was what looked like a flight of stairs. So there was an upstairs to this cabin too.

Chara sniffed disapprovingly. "Smells like a skeleton's house."

I didn't know how she could tell, but I nodded in agreement anyway.

The other girl was now at the bottom of the stairs. "Wait right here. I'm going to get Sans." She started heading up the stairs. "Geez, where the heck is he? I swore he was just here a moment ago…" Her voice left us as she reached the top of the stairs and turned right.

"Let's run now." Chara suggested.

Smiling, I shook my head. "It's time to conquer your fears!~" I sang. She glared at me.

Seeing that I was going to have to wait, I headed over to the couch and plopped down. It made a jangling sound. Confused, I reached my hands under the cushions to feel hard, round things. Coins? Bringing them out, I realized they were gold. Excited from my find, I scooped out as much as I could.

Chara sat with me, or at least, floated above the couch cushions. She seemed unsettled.

I smirked. "Worried about seeing Sans again?"

"More than worried." She spat. It looked like she really had a deep hatred for bad puns. "Can't we just leave now? Staying here won't accomplish anything."

I shook my head. "You can't convince me, and you know it." I wasn't going to leave right after finding another person. This time, I was going to keep my eye on them, as to make sure they don't get murdered by another monster.

Right when I finished grabbing all the coins, the other girl was descending down the stairs. "Can't find him." She grumbled. "I don't get why he left all of a sudden."

"Good." Chara said.

"That's too bad." I translated.

"Well, whatever. We can do this without him." She moved across from me, staring at me with beady eyes. "Let's start with questions."

"Ok." Seeing her expectant gaze, I said, "You can go first."

"Are you going to wear that scarf forever?" She blurted.

I blinked. "Oh, I guess not." I was warm now, there was no need to wear it. It was actually starting to get a little hot. Untying the scarf from my neck, I set it onto the couch.

The girl immediately snatched it up and snuggled up to it. She clung to it like a teddy bear, like her life depended on it. It was strange. Why was she so in love with a scarf? Especially one that once belonged to a monster…

But then, she stopped. It was like she had froze. I watched her warily, wondering what was up. The girl slowly started to push the scarf away from her, and she stared at it with open eyes. She was acting as if the scarf were infested with termites.

"Finally realized that hugging a monster's scarf is gross?" I asked.

But there was a different look on her face. It wasn't of disgust… in fact, she looked terrified. But about what? "P-please tell me that's not what I think it is."

"Huh? What what is?"

"The dust." She answered. "The dust. It's not real right?"

"What?" I asked, "How can dust not be real? It's just normal dust."

"You're lying." She stood up, the scarf now pushed far away from her. "I _know_ what that dust looks like, and this isn't it. What happened? Did something happen to Papyrus? Is he okay? Are you hiding something from me?"

I didn't get it. "Why are you so worried about him? He's just a monster."

"He is _not_ just a monster!" She looked like she was on the verge of tears. "He's… he's…" She gulped. "Who does this dust belong to? How did you _actually_ get ahold of the scarf?"

"He gave it to me."

"I _know_ that's a lie." She said. "There's no way dust could've gotten onto it, unless you're lying about him being okay…" Her eyes widened. "You're _not_ lying though, right?" Her eyes suddenly darted to my clothes.

I scratched the back of my head nervously. "Um… maybe?"

She didn't move for a few seconds. Just stayed completely still, like a statue. I was about to ask what was up, until she started to tremble slightly. Realization was flashing in her eyes. I could feel fury radiating off of her, coming in powerful waves of mourning and sadness.

She pointed a finger at me, her fierce gaze burrowing onto me. " _You_ did it, didn't you?" I felt myself backing away. "You… _you_ did it all. With all those excuses, and, just… Why hadn't I noticed it before? Why…" She sniffled slightly. " _Why_ , Erisa? Why did you…" Her gaze hardened in anger as she stepped forward. "I am seriously going to _kill_ you for this!"

"Run." Chara whispered.


	9. Deception

**When I finally stop being lazy and pick up my lazy-ass butt to actually update this story.**

 **Translation: I apologize for the procrastination. :P**

* * *

Well that was certainly a big change of events.

Just as I leaped out the doorway, the other girl came exploding out behind me, banging the door open with fury. " _I can't believe you!_ " She screamed angrily.

"What in the heck?!" I yelled back, heading towards the Papyrus battle-ground. "I didn't even get to ask any questions yet or defend myself, and you're already trying to _kill_ me?"

"I _told_ you we couldn't trust anyone." Chara grumbled.

Panting, I kept running. And now, we were back in the blizzard. I was now wishing I hadn't given up the scarf so easily. Now I would just get cold again, while the other girl would be all warm and wrapped up. Was this her plan all along? To get me to think she was a friend, and then take the scarf from me before getting rid of me?

Well, she sure was going a long way just to get that scarf. Was it really just for warmth, or was it for something else? Maybe she has other plans for it, plans that I don't see. Just there for her own selfish reasons...

The snow was raining down too hard. It was starting to get too hard to advance. I was going to have to stop and try to understand why the girl was trying to kill me. Or at least, convince her not to.

"It's simple." Chara replied. "She's just following the rule, to kill or be killed."

"So I just have to convince her that the rule applies only to monsters?"

"...maybe."

Dissatisfied at her own uncertainty, I watched as the girl approached, the scarf still lying limply in her hands. So she wasn't wearing it? However, her expression was furious. I stood uneasily, trying to figure out what to say.

But she spoke first. "I don't understand."

Flurries of snow drifted around, sinking my shoes in deeper. Maybe it hadn't been such a good idea to wear the ballet shoes. "Then we can start over, talk it out. There's no need to _kill_ anyone this early on."

She laughed pitifully, the echoes being drowned out by all the snow fall. "Oh really? For someone like _you_ to say that is... that's _quite_ a laugh!" She looked ready to fall into hysteria.

I wanted to protest, but I didn't want to increase her fury. I was going to have to approach this differently, step-by-step. "Why do you want to kill me anyway?" All I did was kill Papyrus!

"Because you _killed_ Papyrus!" Oh. "He's such a nice and innocent person… but why did you do it?" She looked like she wanted to cry. "You were the one that killed everyone, right? I-I thought you knew how the Underground works. I thought you would have…"

"Would have what?" I myself was starting to grow impatient. "I've done exactly what the rule of the Underground implies for me to do. In this world, it's kill or be killed. So there! What are you so mad about?"

"Huh?" She paused, thinking. " _That_ stupid rule? That… you _know_ that's not the rule! What's in the world is wrong with you? Are you just…" She stopped suddenly, realization dawning in her eyes. "You're curious."

I frowned, tilting my head. "Well _of course_ I'm curious! Who isn't?"

The girl started to tremble, her eyes widening. "Oh no… no! Erisa, you can't!"

"Can't what?" Things were just getting more and more confusing. And there was that dumb Erisa title again.

"You can't continue with this." She pleaded, all bloodlust gone. "It's wrong, and you know it. Go back! This isn't worth it."

I grimaced. "I don't understand?"

"Stop it!" She took a step forward, a terrified look in her eye. "Stop this… _genocide_!"

I stopped when I heard the word. Genocide. So that was what all this was. One simple word… who knew? It was slightly startling. And it was true… this was exactly what it was. Exactly what the word prescribes. It was the perfect word.

"Why?" I hardened my gaze as I faced her. "You can't stop me. I'm doing this for the greater good. To make a safer place for people, and to escape the underground so that I can get home." Then, as an afterthought, "If you join me… you can get home too."

Confusion littered her gaze. "Just stop it. Please." I didn't understand what she was so upset about. The facts were staring her right in the face! What was there to be so confused about?

"I don't get it. Don't you want to go home? Do you _want_ the monsters to live? Unless… you really don't get the rule of the underground at all."

"She doesn't get it." Chara concluded, sighing. "She's just another stupid idiot. She'll just get in your way if you don't get rid of her."

"You can still go back." The girl said insistently. "It's not too late. It really isn't." She gulped. "I know you can do it. Reset this. Change this for the better.

"Reset? You really think all this can just be _reset_?" I shook my head, stepping forward. "I don't even know what you're talking about anymore. But if you're really going to get in the way of what I'm doing, then you've just made yourself an enemy."

Stepping forward, I felt my soul draw out, and I floated into the air. Had I just activated a battle? I didn't know I could do that! Blinking in surprise, I watched the other girl's soul draw out as well. Her's wasn't red, surprisingly. Instead, it was a dark blue, and she stayed completely rooted to the ground.

She took a hesitant step back before frowning. "Wait. This doesn't seem like you."

I narrowed my eyes. "How do _you_ know how I'm supposed to act?"

The girl was completely ignoring me now, seeming to be in her own thoughts of doubt. Maybe she was finally getting it? Finally understanding that my way made sense? Maybe she would finally stop being so paranoid, and join my side?

So her next question surprised me entirely. "Do you know my name?"

I blinked, confused. "How am I supposed to know it if you never introduced yourself?" The other girl could only stare back in shock, and the two of us stayed completely still in the middle of a heavy snow storm. It was cold, I realized. I was going to have to bring out my plan quickly if I didn't want to turn into a _pup_ -sicle. (Ha-ha)

She spoke slowly. "You don't… remember." _Huh?_ "Cinder. That's my name. Does it strike anything? Anything at all?"

 _Cinder_ , huh? The by-products of a fire. Like the ashes of a crumbling fury. Cinders. Ashes. Dust. "Nice name." I commented.

Hope deflated from her eyes. "No?"

"Look, I don't understand what you're _getting_ at, but this is starting to get ridiculous." I moved forward, successfully causing her to take a couple more steps back. She just needed to go a couple more. "I don't know you. You don't know me. So stop pretending like you do." She was annoying. Oh so annoying.

"May I help?" Chara asked. I nodded, and she disappeared, controlling my senses.

Cinder said something else, but I didn't hear her. I flew down so that I was almost eye-level with the her, and she took another step back, fear glittering her gaze. Her mouth moved rapidly, speaking messages I couldn't hear. Then, almost like she was desperate, she started to rapidly wave her arms around to convey a message to me. But I heard nothing, thanks to Chara.

I flew forward and Cinder took another step back. She had stopped talking now, almost like she knew it wouldn't do any good. Realization flickered on her face, like she had finally understood her death wish. Right before I brought my hand forward, she whispered one last word at me.

And then I sent her plummeting into the river, as she was washed away by the currents. No protests or screams of help were heard. Her head went under once, and then she was gone. Signifying the end of the battle, my soul retracted into my body.

But I had recognized the word she mouthed, right before I had pushed her into the dangerous rapids of the cold river. It made me slightly wary, and confused. _Chara._

Chara left my body, reappearing in front of me. "She's gone for good now." There was a tone of finality in her voice.

"Not dead though, right?"

"Not dead." Chara confirmed.

I narrowed my eyes. "How can you be so sure?"

"I know these things."

I narrowed my eyes. "Then can you explain how she knew your name?"

Irritation suddenly flashed onto Chara's expression. "Who?"

"Don't play around with me." I took a step forward, trying to show my aggressiveness. "You know who I'm talking about. Cinder. She knows who you are. How?"

Chara glowered at me, not protesting to my claim. It was like she _knew_ I had seen it, almost as sure like she saw it with her own eyes. Or maybe she had, since she had just been controlling my senses a moment ago.

"You're hiding things from me, aren't you?"

Chara ducked her head, curses rolling out of her mouth in whispery comments. "I _knew_ I should've…" The rest was too quiet for me to hear.

"So. Care to explain?"

Chara sighed. "I can try. But not now. Let's leave this place first. You look like you're about to die from frostbite."

I wanted to protest, but I knew she was right. My legs were quivering, just trying to hold myself up. I couldn't last much longer. "Fine, let's go forward until we get out of this stupid snow storm."

Chara raised an eyebrow confusedly. "Not back to the Snowdin Town?"

"No." I spat. "I've already had enough of that place."

Chara frowned like she wanted to ask me why, but ended up shrugging instead. "Suit yourself." Her ghostly figure followed me as I trudged through the blizzard, moving farther and farther away from the original home of the skelebros.

* * *

"Alright, talk now." We had managed to escape the snow, and were now sitting in a long indigo-colored corridor. Waterfalls cascaded around us, leaving faint echoes bouncing all around us. It was annoyingly loud, but it would have to do. At least it wasn't that cold. My skin prickled at the cool, damp air.

Chara eyed the river disdainfully. "But will you listen carefully?"

"Well, duh."

"Alright then." She took a deep breath. "Before I died, I used to live with the King and Queen of monsters. And their son, Prince Asriel."

My eyes widened. "H-huh? How? Didn't they try to kill you?"

"That." Chara shook her head. "See, I managed to convince them that I was on their side. They wanted to wage war on humanity, and they figured that having a human captive on their side would be favorable to their end."

I crossed my arms. "How is this related to my question?"

"Just wait and listen." Chara answered. "See, word got around that the King and Queen had me captive. Keeping a human in a world of monsters was a dangerous thing. Soon, all the monsters knew about it. So I'm guessing that Sans might've told Cinder about me."

"Well, why would he do that?"

"To prove that monsters are innocent." Chara shrugged. "I'm not exactly sure partner, but I believe they may have relayed the story a bit differently."

No wonder Cinder thought Papyrus was good. "How do you think they told it?"

Chara moved her hands around. "I don't know… maybe 'The human killed Prince Asriel mercilessly, and once the monsters realized she was evil, they cast her away.' Or something like that."

I frowned. "That's not very convincing." If Cinder heard this, she surely wouldn't believe it.

Chara shrugged. "Well, they must have been better liars. Anyways, that answers your question, right?" Right.

But my curiosity still wasn't satiated. "But I wanna know what _really_ happened."

"Curious." Chara grinned. "Although I suppose it's for the better. Alright, I suppose I can tell you exactly how it happened.

I sat myself down, preparing for a long story. "Cool."

"So as I lived with the King and Queen, I tried to hatch plans. I tried to figure out ways to escape, or to kill them so that I could rid them of my life. But they were very powerful, and way too strong. Not to mention that they were very observant, constantly keeping a watch on me, so that I couldn't start anything without them getting suspicious. And then, that's when I realized I had to gain their trust. That way, they would stop pestering me, and I could successfully launch a plan.

"I tried to gain the King and Queen's trust, but they were resilient, constantly suspicious of my movements. So I moved onto the Prince, and eventually, he warmed up to me." Her smiled softened some. "With his help, it made all my plans easily simpler."

"Wow…" I mouthed. "How did you get him to trust you?"

"Long story." Chara dismissed. "But anyways, the point was that my attempts were much easier with him helping me. Although half the time, he didn't even know what I was plotting. See, once we made a pie for the King. They were filled with poisonous flowers."

I frowned. "The King of monsters wouldn't fall for something like that though, right?"

"That's when Asriel comes in." Chara pointed out. "Since he was the one that presented the pie, and since the King trusted his own son, he was more than glad to taste the pastry for him."

"Oh… that's pretty smart."

"See?" Chara grinned. "But the plan failed. The poison wasn't strong enough. Sure, it made him sick for a couple of days, but afterwards, he was back to full health. Like nothing had happened to him at all."

"I guess he has a strong stomach, or something."

"Maybe." Chara shrugged.

I frowned. "So then you were caught."

"Nope!" Chara replied cheerily. "I said I didn't know the flowers were poisonous. I tried to settle the uneasiness, and Asriel covered for me. He trusted me."

"What? So you just laughed it off?"

"Basically." Chara shrugged. "But then, I had another plan in mind. All I had to do was to eat those exact poisonous flowers, die, get absorbed by Asriel, and then control him to kill the King and Queen before escaping-"

" _Whoa whoa whoa!_ " I waved my arms around, trying to make sense of things. "Slow down a bit! So you're telling me you _killed_ yourself for this plan? Isn't that a bit far-fetched?"

"I was tired of being with them." Chara grumbled. "Living everyday in fear, always making plans to escape and trying not to get caught. It was terrible. I would've rather died in an attempt to accomplish a plan than to continue living with them."

Wow. She must've really hated living with monsters. I nodded slowly to show that I understood.

"Now." Chara continued. "All I had to do was to make Asriel agree to the plan, so that he would absorb my soul after I died."

"Absorb?"

"Yes. Once monsters take a human soul, they become ultimately powerful, so I figured Asriel would agree to it no problem. But he didn't accept is as quickly as I thought he would've. He was so used to having a pet that he wasn't so willing to sacrifice it for power he didn't need."

I winced slightly. "A pet?"

"That's all I was to them." Chara shrugged indifferently. "A pet. They could play with me, use me for amusement, and I always played along just to gain their trust."

"That's harsh."

"Yeah. But the point is, I eventually got Asriel to agree. So then, I ate the flowers and became sick. The King and Queen started fussing all over me, not wanting their pet and human advantage to die. When Asriel realized that his parents were attempting to save me, he got jealous. He didn't like how all the attention was focused onto me. After that, he didn't hesitate to kill me."

" _He killed you_?"

"A knife through the stomach." Chara agreed. I gagged. "Then I bled to death, and they took my soul, and cooked me in a pot before eating me for dinner."

" _What?_ " I was shocked into silence, watching Chara with horror.

After a moment, Chara laughed, slapping her knee. "Oh my gosh, you should've seen your face! It was priceless!" My face transformed into doubt as I realized that Chara may have tricked me.

"You were lying?"

"Exaggerating." Chara confirmed.

"So none of that was true?" I wasn't sure whether to feel relieved or stumped.

Chara rolled her eyes before sighing. "Only _slightly_ exaggerated. But I still died."

I noticeably deflated. "So what happened then?"

"Just as Asriel stabbed me, I stabbed him back."

"Wait, _what!?_ "

"It's true. I killed him just as he killed me. It was my revenge. Completely inevitable."

"But then doesn't that _ruin_ your _entire plan_?"

Chara sighed. "Basically, yes. But he was the one that stabbed me first. It would've been impossible to not retaliate."

"...fair enough." I finally decided.

"Even still, I waited to see if the King or Queen would try to absorb me, so that I could still try to control them. But instead, they just stored my soul away before putting my body into a coffin."

"Why would they do that?" I frowned. "I mean, about the storing your soul away."

"They're trying to save up for 7 souls." Chara explained. "See, there's a barrier that keeps all the monsters trapped in the Underground, and the only way to break it is with seven human souls."

I gasped. "Then how am I going to get home?"

"Don't worry." Chara reassured me. "Humans only need their soul and a monster's soul to pass through the barrier. It won't be a problem."

I pouted. "But they're trying to break the barrier. So that they can wage war on humanity."

"Exactly. So that is why I am trying to help you. This way, we can protect our kind and destroy our enemies. Do you understand now?"

I sighed, absorbing the brand-new information. "Alright. Just one more question though?"

"Go ahead."

"Why is there a barrier? Or at least, how was it created?"

"Oh, that." Chara sighed. "Even _I_ don't know that. Maybe the world sensed the danger of monsters, and just trapped them all underground to keep humans safe?" Wow. Monsters were so dangerous that they had to be trapped in order to keep them from attacking the world.

I smiled playfully. "So there _is_ something even you don't know!"

Chara stared unamusedly back at me. "Well, if you're done asking questions, then I think it's about time we moved on."

There were a few holes in her story, but Chara's tone left no room for arguments. My curiosity was mostly satisfied anyway. It looked like I would just have to wait until she was more comfortable with accepting more questions.

I stood up, testing my legs. Wobbly, but I felt more confident now. Chara's story just made me feel more determined than ever. "I'm ready!"

* * *

 **Wow Chara, that story of your's is kinda messed up.**

 **But eh, this chapter is pretty messed up too. Don't worry, the next one will be better. And won't take as long to update as this one. ;P**


	10. A Monster Kid

I strode on, the stone hard beneath my feet. The ballet shoes were especially thin, so I could feel all the rocks and pebbles I accidentally strode on. Maybe it hadn't been a good idea to toss those tennis shoes aside.

Ahead, next to a small waterfall, stood a yellow lizard monster. He wore a striped sweatshirt, like me and Chara. Small, weak-looking, and pretty much not a threat. I faced Chara, asking her a silent question.

"Don't kill him yet." Chara commanded me. "He'll be useful, for the time being. Only get rid of him once he proves himself to be a problem."

I nodded, figuring that if Chara believed he would help our cause, then he would. I moved forwards before approaching the monster. He was small, like a kid. A kid monster.

"A Monster Kid." Chara corrected.

"Yo!" He had finally noticed us. "Are you sneaking out to see her, too?" His dismissive talking made me believe that he wasn't aware of my power. That I could kill him instantly, if I wanted to.

"See who?" I whispered to Chara.

"You'll see."

"Awesome!" The 'Monster Kid' cheered. "She's the coolest, right!? I wanna be just like her when I grow up…" Figuring he was just a weird, useless monster, I made my move to leave. "Hey, don't tell my parents I'm here. Ha ha…"

I passed by a strangely large aqua-colored flower and another sentry station before Chara murmured something in my ear. _18 left._

"Say." I commented, eyeing Chara. "How come you never ask to control me anymore?"

Chara looked in Monster Kid's direction, as if making sure we were out of earshot. "I respect your boundaries, partner."

I smiled lightly, realizing that I now trusted Chara more than ever. True, we may have had our complications in the past, but she was the only person that understood me now. She was the only person I could trust down here now, too. I was glad we had gotten over our past problems.

We moved onwards to find the box again. Feeling confident of my abilities, I left the Snowman Piece in the box. Then I ran across the waterfall top, trying not to get swept away by the small currents. There was no trouble with that.

Right before continuing, Chara stopped me with a warning. "The next area will be slightly dark, but don't be intimidated. Just ran as quickly as you can to the nearest reed bush, which will be straight ahead, got it?"

I wanted to question it, but I decided that her word was worth trusting. "Ok."

Taking a deep breath, I rushed forwards. The river was still flowing to my left, guiding me forwards. Almost immediately, I noticed the change. My shadow had grown bigger, stretching out behind me in a black mass. Not only had it gotten darker, but there also seemed to be a light causing the extra shadows. Trying not to pay much mind to it, I ran forward and leaped into a tall patch of reeds.

Once I was in, I stayed as still as possible. Chara, who was hiding in the reeds with me, cast wary glances around as if she were looking for something. When the reeds rustled next to me, she shushed me. I glared back at her, wondering why she was so hesitant to be noticed.

And then, I heard some clunking. Was someone out there? It was kinda distant, so I guessed it was past the river. The noise sounded like metal moving against metal. I heard no voices of any kind. Confused, I looked to Chara.

"What _is_ that?" I asked.

"Undyne." She answered simply.

I made a face, rustling the reeds around me. "Undyne is _metal_?!"

Chara made an irritated face. "Keep your voice down-"

She was suddenly interrupted as the clanking noises grew louder. Yelping, I listened closely. The so-called 'Undyne' was getting closer now. Was it a monster? Or a robot? I couldn't tell. At least, not from behind all these reeds. I considered standing up to get a better look, but Chara was giving me the ultimate glare.

I narrowed my eyes at her. "Why can't I just go and kill-"

" _Shhh_!" She hissed.

The noise was louder now, and I stayed completely silent, trying not to get Chara on my case. There was suddenly a quick sucking sound, like something was getting vaporized. I kept my ears open, waiting. There was just silence for a while.

Then, the sucking noise happened again, followed by more clanking noises. Ignoring Chara's expression of warning, I peered through the reeds. Past the river and hiding in the distance was a single white dot, staring back at me. I watched as it slowly faded into the darkness.

"She's gone." Chara sighed in relief.

I frowned. "Undyne is a white dot?" If that was all she was, why was Chara so scared?

Chara made a face. " _What?_ No!"

"What are you so scared of? She's just another monster to deal with, right?"

"No, she's not." Chara groaned. "She's a hard one to beat. I just don't want you approaching her before you're strong enough."

"I'm not strong enough yet?" I couldn't believe it. After all those monsters I had killed, I still wasn't good enough to handle some robot monster with a white dot?

"No, not yet." Chara grinned. "But see, that's when this area comes into use. There will be a whole lot of new ones for you to gain strength from. Once we've cleared this place, you'll definitely be powerful enough to take on Undyne."

I sighed, irritated at my lack of strength. "Ok then." Getting up, I crawled out of the reeds to the other side. As I got up to wipe my pants, the reeds rustled behind me.

Monster Kid suddenly popped out from the greenery, jumping around excitedly. How had he gotten in there? "Yo… did you see the way she was staring at you? That…" He paused, as if trying to think up the perfect word. "...was _awesome_!" He finally decided.

"How was that _awesome_?" Chara wondered, scrunching up her face.

"Undyne's a ' _she_?'" I asked, slightly bewildered. Did robots have genders?

"I'm _soooo_ jealous!" The monster kid squealed. "She was just standing there waiting _forever_ , and then you just…!" He took a long dreamy sigh before nodding to me. "C'mon! Let's go watch her beat up some bad guys!" He then took off, but not before falling on his face. Somehow, he managed to quickly pick himself up and continue running. I didn't follow him yet.

"How did he get in the reeds without us noticing?!" I exclaimed incredulously.

Chara shrugged. "He's a sneaky one. Harmless, but unpredictable. We'll have to keep an eye out."

I nodded, and Chara grinned. _18 left._

* * *

As I crossed rivers with "Bridge Seed Flowers" (or so the sign called it), I was met with a more variety of monsters, as Chara predicted. It was almost as if different types of monsters lived in different habitats. I didn't hesitate to kick mermaid horses in the tails, washing machines in the head, and jellies in their… jellies. Needless to say, my feet felt rather sore afterwards, but it was well worth it.

I passed more silent flowers before moving through a hole that led me to a large wooden platform. It was like a dock, just slightly elevated above the water all around us. Ignoring the signs on the nearby wall, I moved eastwards until I met a dead-end.

"Go onto the platform." Chara instructed.

It was then that I noticed, at the end of the platform was a single square-sized metal plate. It was rather small, but big enough to hold the both of my feet. Huffing, I moved onto it. I was immediately startled by the sudden movement as it moved forwards, crossing the dark expanse beneath us. Was it still water, or was there nothing below us at all? It was hard to tell; everything was so black. The dark abyss was unsettling, and I found myself losing my balance. Then I started to panick, vainly hoping that I wouldn't plummet headfirst into the stuff below.

"Don't worry." Chara reassured me. "I'm here."

Taking a deep breath, I nodded. The trip wasn't as terrible after that. Once the platform reached another bridge, I jumped off in a hurry, just to get away from the fear. I had survived the journey. Chara smirked playfully, and I raised my eyebrows at her.

"Of all the things that scare you, it has to be a moving platform."

"It wasn't just that!" I protested. "We were crossing a really dark and scary pit!"

Chara then went on to mimick me sarcastically, and I pouted. At that face, she laughed. And admittedly, I couldn't help smiling back at her.

The next room was dark, and the dark shadow was back. The mood was dangerous. Looking around, I noticed a long land mass stretching to my left, a few pillars here and there. The shadows were back. Moving forwards cautiously, I noticed that I was still on the bridge platform. The only way was forwards and backwards, but backwards wasn't really even a choice anymore. My only escape transportation was a metal plate that had left me long ago.

So the only way was ahead. I took a few more steps, and then Chara stopped me. Before I could question it, a blue spear had flown right in front of me, imbedding the wooden floor I was standing on.

Before I could even react, Chara was already pushing me forwards. Obeying her command, I ran ahead, trying not to fall off the bridge. Who threw the spear? Was someone chasing us? I looked to the side, and along the land mass, darting between the pillars was the one and only Undyne herself. She had found us.

All this time, I had imagined Undyne to be some kind of robot, but I was obviously wrong. The metal clanking just came from the suit of armor she was wearing. The white dot was just one of her eyes, because the other one was covered by a shadow. There was also an unnecessary red fluff poking out from the back of her head. I wondered if it was an accessory.

I considered staying back to fight, although I immediately realized that I couldn't. Undyne was all the way on the other side of the river, and I couldn't jump that far. This was an unfair fight. All that was left for me was to run.

Metal clanking and arms retracting, she threw more spears at me. Not exactly sure how to dodge, Chara directed me. When she told me to move left or right, I did. When she told me to jump, I did. When I had to stop, I did. Even when told to backtrack, I did. When she wasn't giving orders, I kept running. The bridge started to turn in lefts and rights, as if it were trying to mess with me. It made the fleeing harder, but Chara was with me all the way. Her knack for knowing exactly how to dodge every spear was slightly unsettling. Not like I cared.

For some reason, I didn't get hit once. Lucky me. It took a long time, with all the stopping and backtracking, but eventually I made it to the end. And I was just starting to wonder how long this bridge was.

Ducking into some tall grass, which were the only things up ahead, I kept moving. The spears were still flying over my head, but they were a lot less aimed now. Like the pursuer wasn't even trying anymore. Or maybe she just couldn't see me anymore, since I was in the reeds?

Once I went in far enough, I stopped at Chara's signal. "Move a little to the right." She instructed.

"Why?"

"Just do it." She growled.

Growling a little myself, I obeyed. The spears had stopped, but now there was the sound of someone stomping up from behind. Was it Undyne? Then perfect! Now was my time to show what I was made of, to show that I was strong enough to take her on, as long as she put up a fair fight. It would be easy…

But Chara shook her head at me, as if reading my thoughts. I pouted at her before hissing, "Why not?!"

"Because," She replied. "You're not strong enough yet. Now quiet, Undyne is coming."

"Still?" My face fell. "Even after all those new ones I killed?"

"Yes, even after." Chara groaned. "Now _shhhh._ Don't move."

Chara's unwillingness to fight just made me more upset. Crossing my arms, I sat criss-cross as I waited. Maybe if Undyne got close enough, I could attack her anyway. I could tell Chara it was self-defense. Then she couldn't blame me for doing it.

The clanking was louder now. I froze when I saw a metal leg pierce through the reeds. It stopped when it was inches away from me. She was literally right in front of me now. If she made any advances, then I could attack. It was the perfect moment, the perfect excuse.

I watched as her metal arm reached down, searching for me. Chara seemed to realize my intentions, as she glared at me in warning. Ignoring Chara, I eyed the arm carefully, making sure as to not actually get caught in her grasp. Once it made contact with me, I would jump on her. It would make a perfect surprise attack. I would take her down in one hit, like I did with Papyrus. Then I would prove to Chara just how capable I was.

The arm was right next to my leg now. I got ready to strike, that is, until Chara hissed at me. Pausing, I watched as Undyne's hand retracted. Mouth gaping in surprise, I waited for her to search again. Instead, all I heard was shuffling. More rustling happened next to me, and then Undyne's footsteps retreated.

I was disappointed. I had all the plans figured out and everything, and then Undyne had to just _retreat_? Why? What happened to that murderous intent on killing me? Snorting in disbelief, I turned to Chara. "Happy?"

She narrowed her eyes. "Don't give me that. I know your capabilities, and they don't reach to beating her."

I threw my arms up. "C'mon, she's _weak_! Why else would she need a suit of armor in the first place?!"

"Just move." Chara hissed. "Before she comes back or something."

I sighed exaggeratedly. " _Fine._ " Getting up, I wove through the long stalks before finally reaching the other side. Hopping out of the greenery, I took two steps before stopping. The reeds behind me were rustling. Was Undyne back?

No, it was just the Monster Kid again, hopping around happily. Did he have endless amounts of energy or something? "Yo, did you see that?" He yelped, still jumping around. "Undyne just _touched me_!"

I blinked at him. "Huh?"

"I'm never washing my face ever again!" He smiled, wagging his tail. "Man, are you unlucky. If you were standing just a _little_ bit to the left…!"

I gave Chara a sharp look before glowering at him. "So _you're_ telling me that the reason Undyne left was because she got ahold of _you_ instead of _me_?"

The kid gave me a pitying look. "Yo, don't worry!" He said reassuringly. "I'm sure we'll see her again!" He then ran away happily, but not before falling on his face once and picking himself back up. That dude had no coordination.

"Well we _better_ see her again!" I called to him threateningly, waving my fist. "Or else I'm going to _sever_ your head and _dunk_ it in a bathtub _full of water_!"

The monster yelped a bit before dashing out of sight, and Chara gave me a look. "That was hardly a threat."

"He said he never wanted to wash his face again. So I figured doing just that would be the best kind of threat."

"There are better ways to treat a head after dismemberment." Chara commented dryly. "Put it on dynamite. Hang it over a pit of death. Impale it with a knife."

I gagged slightly. "Seriously?"

"Well, if you're going to sever someone's head, you might as well do it right."

"It's not like it's even possible anyway." I reminded her, waving my hand dismissively. "They always turn to dust before I can even do anything to them."

"Well on a happy note, at least you don't have to deal with dozens of corpses."

"Sure."

Up ahead, I saw a cheese surrounded by a magical purple crystal. It sat upon a table, stuck in place. There was another mousehole nearby, and the familiar flower that I kept seeing all around Waterfall. _13 left._

I narrowed my eyes at the cheese and the mousehole. "Why is there always so many of those? Is that like, an Underground thing?"

"We shall never know~" Chara spoke spookily.

I raised an eyebrow at her. "Okay, fine. It's not like I care anyway. Right now, I have to get stronger." I had to beat Undyne. To prove myself to Chara.

Chara grinned. "And you will, partner."

* * *

The area I was in was now a lot more open. I went on to eliminate more enemies as I strode across the mazes of paths, passing by colorful currents of aqua-blue rivers. Passing a telescope on a tripod gave me a pang of sadness, but I didn't get why or how. It made me confused, and I hated to be confused, so I tried my best to forget about it.

Ahead, the grass underfoot was squishy, and I relished every step I took on them. It was slightly destructive, but I could care less. What mattered was that I was becoming strong enough so that I could face Undyne.

I was back in the cavern parts of Waterfall, but that didn't stop the monsters from appearing. A good kick in the face was enough to remind them of their place. Chara was very encouraging throughout the whole thing.

Ahead of us, I could hear pitter-pattering. I found the source of the noise once I passed by a statue, completely wet from getting rained on by a hole above it. I could really care less about it. Quirking an eyebrow, I moved on to find a trashcan full of umbrellas. What could be the coincidence in that?

I reached for a salmon-colored one and opened it up. Despite my non-caring motives, I found myself backtracking to the statue. Something inside me was telling me to go back. Something told me that it would be well worth it. Chara didn't seem to agree, and cast wary glances in my direction, but she didn't argue.

Once I finally reached the statue, I glared at it for a moment. Why had I come back? I was supposed to do something, right? Stepping closer to observe, I realized that the little smaller stone figures at its feet were dry. The statue itself was acting like an umbrella, shielding the stones from the rain like a good guardian. Maybe it was time for me to be a good umbrella too.

I raised the item and set it atop the statue, in the grasp of his stony arms. Since it didn't seem exactly eager to hold it, I decided on leaning it on the front of his face. I found myself waiting eagerly, and before I could question myself on what I was waiting for, a music box began to play.

I stood there in numb surprise as the music wafted around me, calm and serene. It was so familiar, and so pretty. A little awed, I found myself dropping to the ground to sit. Knowing that I was the one that caused the music to play made me feel proud. I wanted to enjoy this music for a while. Bringing the umbrella back was definitely worth it. Listening to my instincts was good.

It was great. It erased my worries, my doubts and concerns. It just brought peace. And… memories? I frowned a little at the word, and I felt something stirring in the back of my mind. Was it important? Probably not. Not as important as the music.

At first, Chara looked absolutely peeved. But after a few verses, she had calmed down and sat down next to me, a hopeful expression on her face. The two of us sat in silence, just listening to the pitter patter of the rain on the umbrella and the beautiful notes of the song.

* * *

It was a while before I moved on. I strode on through the puddles, feeling irked at how wet I was becoming. Maybe I should've grabbed an umbrella, but I was too lazy to go back.

Chara noticed my discomfort. "So you're too lazy to backtrack to grab an umbrella for yourself, and yet you're fine with going back to get one for a statue made of stone?"

"Shut up." I sighed, flicking a wet strand of hair over my shoulder. "And it was good music, mind that." When Chara turned her head away in defiance, I waved my finger teasingly. "C'mon, just admit it! You liked it too, I know."

"It wasn't that I _liked_ it." Chara grunted. "It just brought a lot of… memories."

I blinked. "Huh." Memory. That word again. It rang through my head, quiet but special. What did it mean? Why did it matter so much to me? Because I lost all my memories when I landed on the bed of flowers? Was that it?

Chara finally seemed to notice my thoughtful silence, and she waved her arms around urgently. "Uh, forget what I said!" She yelped.

I frowned in response. Before I could ask her what she was worried about, I noticed an all-too familiar monster standing not too far ahead.

"Yo!" Monster Kid called out to us, looking slightly irritated. "You can't hold an umbrella either?"

Chara grinned knowingly at me, and I crossed my arms. "Don't say a word." I warned her.

"If you're walking anyway, I guess I'll go with you, haha…" He quickly made his way over to follow us, feet splashing in the puddles.

"What?" I grimaced. "No, you don't have to-"

"Let's go!" He cheered, oblivious to my protests.

I turned to Chara, obviously annoyed. "Can I just kill him now?"

"No." She responded, unamused. "Later, not now. Just deal with him for the time being."

I huffed. "Easy for you to say."

The three of us proceeded, continuing through more rain and water. Monster Kid babbled a lot about random things on Undyne and how cool she was, and I couldn't help rolling my eyes. This guy was obsessed, and all over a weak monster wearing a suit of armor. Big deal.

I tuned out his ramblings as I walked on, firmly ignoring him. Soon, we were on another ledged path, and before us stood a huge castle. It was very far away, and the blue hues of the cave ceiling glittered above like tiny stars. Slightly mesmerized, but trying not to show it, I proceeded to walk ahead.

"That's Asgore's castle." Chara informed me helpfully.

I rolled my eyes before sarcastically remarking, "Gee, thanks for that helpful comment."

"I didn't even say anything!" Monster Kid protested, seeming slightly hurt.

"'Wasn't talking to you." I grumbled in response.

Up ahead, there was another trash can of umbrellas. So only _now_ did it choose to show up, huh? Feeling annoyed at my bad luck, I trudged forward to meet a steep ledge that the Monster Kid was already analyzing.

"Yo! This ledge is way too steep."

"Obviously?"

He seemed to be in thought. "Hm… yo, you wanna see Undyne right?" He steadied himself before hunching over slightly. "Climb on my shoulders."

Well, that was certainly a way to solve this predicament. Shrugging, I climbed onto his shoulders and used him as a foothold to leap onto the ledge above. I landed like a cat.

"Owww…" He complained, getting back up onto his feet. "Yo, try being a little less rough, haha."

I narrowed my eyes at him. "Did you expect me to be gentle? You were the one that suggested the idea anyway."

He ignored my snarky comments. "Anyway, I'll look for another way through. Later!" He dashed away, and I turned away before I could even see him fall on his face again.

"Told you he would be useful." Chara smiled knowingly.

"Hush."


	11. You Must Be Mad

_9 left._

I strolled onto the wooden platform, trying not to feel intimidated. It stretched far ahead, branching into what seemed to be a maze of paths up ahead. I noticed my shadow just in time, stopping right when a blue circle appeared before me. A spear pierced straight through the circle, rising from below the planks.

Growling, I watched Undyne appear from a platform below us. She was back, and still too far for me to reach. It was yet another unfair battle. And based on how Chara reacted in every situation, I still wouldn't be strong enough to fight her anyway. Annoyed at the circumstances, I ran.

Chara resumed to instructing me as I made my way through the attacks. This time though, she also helped to direct me on the correct paths. I swerved and turned and avoided the blue circles. Undyne continued to follow me from below, never losing sight of me. Her attacks came in spurts, with sometimes 5 or 6 spears coming out the wood at the same time. Every once in awhile, I would jump right over the blue circles, in the hopes that I would reach the other side before the spears came up. My impatience earned me a few close calls, but my teamwork with Chara was far greater.

Winding around one last turn, I found myself on a huge clearing of the bridge. I raced across the whole thing in a diagonal direction, still somewhat managing to avoid the magic spears. There was only one more path left. Without further thought, I ran into that one.

The spears were still coming. Huffing, I kept going forwards until… I stopped. I couldn't go forwards anymore, as the bridge just abruptly stopped into a dead end. Even the spears themselves had stopped appearing, and it suddenly dawned on me that this could've been a trap.

Vainly hoping that I wasn't in any kind of trouble, I turned myself around and ran back. But I screeched to a halt once I saw a figure approaching from ahead. There were metal clanking noises.

It was Undyne. Somehow, she had climbed up to my bridge from down below. I sure as heck didn't know how she had accomplished that, but now wasn't the time to question these things. I had bigger problems on my hands now. Gritting my teeth, I waited for her to approach.

Already, plans were forming in my mind. Once she got close enough, there were a variety of things that I could do. I could stand there and wait for her attack before counter-attacking. I could rush forward and try to strike her, with some element of surprise on my side. I could even taunt her until she grew angry enough to lose her coordination. So many possibilities, so many things I could do. But they were all stopped by a simple thing…

Chara's glare. "Don't attempt anything stupid." She warned me.

I rolled my eyes. Maybe I would just stick with the counter-attack plan, in which I just stood there and did nothing as my enemy attacked first. Chara couldn't blame me for my retaliation, I would just be defending myself. Yes, she can't say anything against that.

Undyne was closer now. She was just a few yards away from me. I waited tensely, trying to anticipate her next move to create an effective counter-blow. Would she launch volleys of spears at me, or would she leap at me ferociously? I narrowed my eyes when she stopped. She was going to make her move now, I could feel it.

Then suddenly, spears pierced the sky and sliced through the wood on the bridge in front of me. For a moment, I was confused. She had completely missed me! Did she just fail an attack when her target was just meters in front of her?

Then the bridge trembled, and I suddenly realized that there was more to it than what it looked like to the eye. " _No!_ " I charged towards Undyne, not caring about my original plan anymore. Already, the bridge was collapsing under me. Undyne was still standing safely on her side, one white beady eye trained on me. Resolve built up in me. I couldn't lose now. Not when I still had so much to live for.

In one last attempt, I jumped. I vainly reached forward to grab onto the ledge on which Undyne was standing on. My fingers only briefly brushed the wood before I was falling to my doom, into the inky blackness below. Just falling, _falling…_

* * *

I can hear whispers in my head.

 _It sounds like it came from over here…_ Who are you?

 _Oh! You've fallen down, haven't you…_ It hurts.

 _Are you okay?_ No.

 _Here, get up…_ My mind suddenly feels relieved; cleansed. Almost like I've been lifted.

…

 _Chara, huh?_ I startle slightly at the name, and I frown. It sounded familiar, like I had heard it before. But where _had_ I heard that name from?

 _That's a nice name._

 _My name is-_

* * *

I blinked awake and suddenly shot upwards into a sitting position. I was in a long cave corridor, and on another bed of golden flowers. To my right was a huge waterfall wall, and all around me were sparse planks of wood here and there. I had fallen, and I was… alive?

Suddenly, I remembered. _Ha!_ Undyne's attack had failed! I was still alive! I beamed proudly, feeling confident at how I had fooled her plans. So that monster was weak _and_ stupid! Just thinking on how the coward made me fall increased my anger, but I decided to bathe in my glory just a bit longer. But now, where was?...

I frantically searched until I heard a voice from behind me. "Looking for me?"

Squeaking, I quickly turned myself around. "Ch-Chara!" I sighed with relief. "You scared me a bit there."

She raised any eyebrow. "You survived."

"Yeah." I agreed. "And now I'm…" I hesitated. "Um… where are we?" I gestured to our surroundings as I picked myself up.

"The dump." Chara replied simply.

"Where there are trash hunks everywhere." I commented, hoping it wouldn't stink as much as it looked. "Won't this be polluting the water, though?"

"Why would you care?"

I blinked. "Good point."

Feeling a bit sore, I stretched my leg muscles a bit. Then I hopped from plank to plank until there were none left. To proceed, I would have to step into the water.

Sighing, I gently lifted myself into the murky stuff. Surprisingly, it wasn't that bad, counting out the fact that I was now wet all the way up to my waist. Groaning, I proceeded through the water and trudged past more heaps of trash. _7 left._

I managed to catch a break on an upcoming platform. I quickly climbed onto it, sighing when I felt my pants drip water. I was completely soaked. And to continue, I would have to step off and get soaked again.

Chara noticed my discomfort and rolled her eyes. "Just get on with it."

I eyed her disdainfully. "Easy for you to say. You just float above the water the whole time."

She grinned in response. "Well, you can't blame me for not wanting to get wet."

"Wet?" I exclaimed. "You're a ghost! You can't even _get_ wet! I think."

"Either way, there's no avoiding it. You'll have to get back into the water to move on."

After a moment, I sighed in defeat. Chara was right. I hopped back into the water, sending splashes around me. Some flew towards Chara, but they went right through her. I narrowed my eyes. "See?" Feeling disgruntled, I turned myself around and moved onwards.

After a left turn and passing a ton (no, a _skele_ -ton) of more junk, I saw a dummy. It was extremely insignificant, basically nothing compared to the rest of the trash, yet it still stood out somehow. Maybe it just reminded me of my first battle in the underground. Feeling curious despite its insignificance, I headed up to it to investigate.

Chara made a face. "What are you doing?"

"Teaching the dummy who's boss." Was my reply, and I gave it a little fist bump in the face. That was nothing. Huffing, I gave it a huge punch to the face. It leaned back considerably, and I felt satisfaction well up inside me. That felt better. Grinning broadly, I turned myself around and marched ahead.

I stopped when I heard splashing noises behind me. All of a sudden, the dummy appeared before me, rising from the depths of the murky water and leaving splashes everywhere. I spat in irritation when he got some on my face. Needless to say, I was slightly surprised at a dummy that could move on its own, but for the time being, I decided not to let it show. "FOOL!" He screamed. "You think you can hurt _me_?"

"So you're saying I didn't?" I challenged.

The dummy just smirked back. "I am a ghost that lives inside a dummy." Well that explained a lot of things. So there was basically nothing to be afraid of. Except the fact that I couldn't kill him. "My cousin used to live inside a dummy, too. Until… _you came along_!" His tone was accusing.

"So what? Shouldn't you be glad? If they're a ghost, that means I didn't kill them."

The dummy plowed on with its speech, seeming not to get the point to my statement. "Not only did your actions cause them to leave their home… but now all of their neighbors are gone, too!"

I frowned. There were others? "What neighbors?" I asked. Maybe we could clear this dispute up when he realized that it wasn't me scaring away the so-called neighbors.

"No." Chara stopped me, shaking her head. "The only way to beat him is to make him angry. That way, you can defeat him."

The dummy refused to listen to me. "Despicable. Despicable! _DESPICABLE_!" He continued to rant, his head steaming into a scarlet red. Steam rose off in little billowed clouds. "You're the worst person I've ever met! I've _never_ been more mad!"

I decided to try Chara's advice. "Heh." I smirked, teasing him on. "So I guess that makes you the _Mad_ Dummy."

" _Guooooohhhh!_ " He screamed in rage, turning more and more red. He was starting to look a lot like a boiling teapot. "My mannequin levels are going _off the charts_!" But then in a flash, all his anger was gone. All his rage had disappeared. Instead, he just floated there, a confused expression on his face.

I narrowed my eyes, upset that he had recovered so quickly. Had Chara's plan failed? "What?"

"...?" The dummy looked down at himself, a bashful expression on his face. "This… This feeling…? Eureka." Realization suddenly flashed onto his face, and he smiled happily. I felt myself making a face at his sudden change in mood. "Eureka! _Eureka_!" He turned to me, no sign of violence anywhere. "Human. That moment of unbridled emotion. It allowed me to finally fuse with my body!"

"Really?" I smiled as I took the information in.

"I'm fully corporeal now!" He exclaimed excitedly. "My lifelong dream, realized! In return, I guess I won't stomp you. How's that sound?" There was a silly grin plastered onto his face, and I gagged a little. He looked ready to fall over.

"Heh." I chuckled, feeling my soul draw out. So he was letting me go? "I have a better idea. How 'bout in return, _I_ get to stomp _you_? How's _that_ sound?"

Before the dummy could respond, I gave it three kicks to the head. "Wipe that smile off your face!" I growled as he turned to dust. Apparently, head kicks were the most effective types of kicks. They always eliminated the enemy quickly. I would have to keep that in mind. I turned to Chara with a thankful glance. "Thanks for the tip. It worked."

"Of course." Chara gave me an approving nod. "We beat him. Now let's get out of nasty this swamp."

* * *

 _7 left._

Well, not for long. Even after all that, I was back in action. Ignoring some random houses that littered the side of the lake, I moved past them to find another random shop run by some weird old turtle monster. He was dressed up like an archaeologist, with magnifying glass and everything. He didn't look happy to see me, but he didn't chase me away. It was a good thing he didn't, or else I might've gotten rid of him like I had with all the others.

"Wa ha ha…" He cackled. His voice was hoarse, but still energized. "So ya came here. What a treat!"

"You got a problem with that, old man?"

He narrowed his eyes. "Watch your tongue, youngster! We don't allow any kind of foul language here!"

"Oh really?" I smirked. "Then what if I threaten to kill you? Will it still not be allowed?"

He narrowed his eyes at me knowingly. "I've lived too long to be afraid of something like you." He explained. "Wah ha… knowledge like that is the only reason I've survived so long."

I grumbled. "Well, that's because you're too much of a weenie to fight me."

"Eh? Fight you?" He looked to the side. "Nah… I'm not a hero. Never was. And b'sides, these bones aren't fit for fighting anyhoo. I know I don't stand a chance 'gainst you youngsters. But at least, I've bought time for the others."

"Time?" I questioned. "It doesn't matter how much time you give them. They're all going to be within my reach. I need to get stronger, and for that, I need to get ahold of every single one of them. You should know that much, at least."

The turtle sighed. "I'm no hero, but I know there's someone like that out there. Someone who's striving to do the right thing. I know it's true." He narrowed his eyes at me in warning. "Someone out there will strike you down."

"There's no one out there that can strike us down, so stop speaking gibberish." I turned myself around. "I'll be taking my leave now, old man."

He narrowed his eyes slightly when I used the word "us," but he didn't prod further. "Good riddance." He mumbled. When his back was on me, I snatched a couple of crabby looking apples. Literally. They were apples shaped like crabs.

Sticking my stash in my pockets, I went to the familiar box. The snowman pieces were still inside.

"Take them back out." Chara told me.

I frowned. "Why? The apples are good enough to handle the monsters around here."

"No, they're not." Chara insisted. "Listen to me. These will definitely help you. No more questions against it."

Grumbling, I emptied some of the Crab Apples from my pockets and took out the snow pieces. Chara had better be right. Carrying wet snowballs around someplace like the Waterfall was bound to make us run into trouble.

More monster fights came up as we proceeded. I was going to have to deal with those first. I dealt more kicks to the enemy. My theory proved correct when I noticed that head kicks were much more effective. My feet hurt a bit, and I was sure that after this long exercise, I would have the toughest soles in the entire underground.

When the path was dark, Chara instructed me to bop the blue mushrooms on the head. They always lighted up new paths for me, and I made my way through the grassy lanes. Some very conveniently-placed lanterns helped me out. It was good and easy. Not to mention that monsters really liked to hang out around the area for some reason, so it was perfect.

I was back in a dark passageway. Not being able to see what was in front of me, I stepped right back into the waist deep water. Cursing and flinging my arms around unceremoniously, I stormed forwards. And I was just starting to get dry too! Why did this area have to be so _wet_ all the time?

The deeper I went in, the darker it got. Chara beckoned to me after a moment. "This way." She pointed to the left wall, where there was just darkness. I frowned at her, not understanding. "There's a path here." She explained.

I made my way over and realized that she was right. There was no wall, just a simple path. I had assumed it was a wall just because it was dark. Thank goodness Chara was with me to point these things out. Thankfully lifting myself out the water, I resumed to moving along the path.

Soon, the darkness had went away. I was now in a sparkly room full of blue flowers. Although I didn't want to admit it, it was actually very pretty. Chara seemed equally interested as we moved through them, pausing to whisper into some of them every once in awhile. I cocked my head in interest, but didn't question her. Sometimes, Chara was just weird. It was better to just accept it.

 _Determination._ "We're close." Chara warned. Close to what though, she didn't clarify.

We were out of the area now, and there was no more water in sight. Smiling, I proceeded onto a long purple bridge. There was no shadow in sight, so I guessed that Undyne wasn't around to butt in. That was good.

I suddenly stopped when I heard excited footsteps behind me. "Yo!" Monster Kid called out to me. Stopping, I turned myself around. He slowly approached me, a wary look on his face. "Yo. Undyne told me to stay away from you. She said you… you hurt a lot of people." She finally told him the truth, huh?

I raised an eyebrow in question. "So?"

"...But, yo, that's not true, right!?" Was he really the dense? Sighing, I turned away for a moment to collect my thoughts on how to deal with the problem. "...yo...Why won't you answer me?"

"Is he useful anymore?" I whispered to Chara, giving her a side-ways glance.

"Nope." She confirmed.

"...then I can get rid of him."

"Yes."

"A… A… and what's with that weird expression...?" The Monster Kid stuttered nervously. He suddenly backed away as I advanced on him. "Oh… Oh man…" He mumbled. "Man, my h-heart's pounding right out of my chest…" So he finally realized the danger. "What would Undyne do?"

I took more steps toward him until we were just inches apart. If he was going to act like Undyne, the he might as well start breaking the bridge we were standing on. Except he couldn't. Because he was a weak monster. Yet at the same time, he didn't look ready to run away. That would be his own fault when his dust fell into the abyss.

"...Yo…" He said to me. "Y-you'd b-better st-stop r-right where you are…" I could barely take him seriously with him stumbling over every word. "Cause if you w-wanna hurt anyone else… you're…" He gulped, before straightening his back. "You're gonna have to get through me, first. A… And..."

"It's not like you're even blocking my way." I smirked as I interrupted his next words. "But suit yourself." My soul was drawn out to indicate the beginning of the battle. Monster Kid gave me a sweaty but determined stare. He was in the way. He was just easy XP. Once I was over with him, I could move on.

Grinning like an idiot at finally being able to get rid of him, I prepared to send him a kick to the face. Just one. It would be enough, I knew. His eyes widened as he saw me approach, and there was suddenly fear in his expression.

But when I had finished my kick, I realized that I hadn't struck my target. Growling, I spun to face the intruder, and realized it was none other than Undyne herself. My footprint now showed on her armor, and I watched her tremble. She had pushed the Kid away to take the hit herself, and now he was lying on the bridge not too far behind her. Shock was plastered onto all our faces as we each stared at each other.

Monster Kid was the first to speak. "U-Undyne!" He squeaked worriedly. "You're hurt..."

"Hurt?" She smiled gently at him. It was pretty unconvincing. "It's nothing. But next time, listen when I tell you to leave, okay?"

"Undyne! I…"

The fish lady's gaze grew sharper. "I'll take care of this! Get out of here!" Monster Kid flinched slightly at her tone of voice before quickly slinking away. My prey was getting away!

But now, there was a much more interesting sight before me. The one and only "great" Undyne was now wavering before me, barely keeping herself upright. "Heh… 'it's nothing'..." She sighed mockingly. "No… s-somehow, with just one hit… I'm already… Already…" Her hold on the world was loosening. "D… damn it…" Already, her legs were fading out. Ready to turn into dust. I had defeated her with one hit, with one kick to the head. Head kicks really were amazing.

I turned to Chara with a smirk. "Just _what_ were you saying about Undyne?"

She growled at me. "It hasn't happened yet!" She insisted. "Don't get so cocky!"

"Papyrus…" Undyne's voice was wavering as well. "Alphys… Asgore… Just like that, I… I've failed you." Her form was almost completely indistinguishable now.

"It's what happens when you try to oppose me." I grinned. Then I turned myself around, ready to leave her dust behind.

"No, stop!" Chara warned me. "Don't turn your back on the enemy!"

"Why? She's already dying."

"No…" I stopped when I heard Undyne oppose my statement. "My body… It feels like it's splitting apart. Like any instant, I'll scatter into a million pieces.

"That's what happens to monsters when they die, hun." I still didn't turn myself around yet.

" But… deep, deep in my soul. There's a burning feeling I can't describe. A burning feeling that _won't_ let me die. This isn't just about monsters anymore, is it?"

I paused before turning my head around slightly. "What are you talking about?"

"If you get past me, you'll… you'll destroy them all, won't you?" She took a slow, ragged breath. "Monsters… humans… everyone..." The quote was familiar to me, but I couldn't quite place where I had heard it from before. "Everyone's hopes. Everyone's dreams. Vanquished in an instant. But I _won't_ let you do that."

"And how do you plan on stopping me, exactly?"

"Right now, everyone in the world… I can feel their hearts beating as one. And we all have _one_ goal." A smile was plastered back onto her face as she pointed threateningly at me. "To defeat _you_. Human. No, _whatever_ you are. For the sake of the whole world… I, _Undyne_ ," Her smile was larger than ever, radiant almost. How was she still standing? How was she still up? "Will strike you down!"

A flash of light blinded me for a moment, and I shut my eyes. When I opened again, there was a completely different-looking Undyne before me. Her eyes were fierce, her armor was elaborately pointy in some areas, and her hair was swayed wildly in the wind. There was also a huge heart on the center of her armor-piece. Not to mention that she didn't look ready to turn into dust anytime soon.

"The heroine appears." Chara grumbled. My eyes were wide with disbelief.

Undyne grinned menacingly in my direction, pointing her spear at my throat. "You're gonna have to try a little harder than _that._ " She cackled confidently.

The real battle begins.

* * *

 **Dun Dun DUN!...**


	12. Undyne the Undying

Undyne threw a spear in my direction, and I caught it easily. Was that even supposed to be an attack? My soul was green now, with me still suspended in the air. Whatever was that supposed to mean? Fighting on a bridge was dangerous business, but I could honestly give less of a crap. Irritated, I kicked her, and yet she didn't budge an inch. I hissed in frustration. Something spear-like was flashing out her right eye, but I could care less. Why was she back? Why was she alive? Why wasn't she _dust_ yet?

Chara was already with me, ready to help out with my senses. I gave her permission to do so. "Block the arrows with the spear." Chara instructed inside my head. "Be careful, they can come from all directions."

"You mean, in one direction." I growled. There were just a couple, coming down on me from above. Amused, I moved to block them.

Only to suddenly have a full array of arrows come down at me from all sides. Panicked, I moved to stop those first, completely forgetting the ones above me. They hit me in the head. Grimacing, I tried to deflect the rest of them, but they were relentless and totally unpredictable. The attack left me at low health. Trying to think, I picked out an apple and bit into it. I would have to keep the Snowman Pieces for later. This fight was like nothing I had ever seen before. Here was a real challenge, something actually strong enough to oppose me.

"I see what you mean now!" I exclaimed proudly, tossing the apple core behind me.

I could almost see Chara rolling her eyes. "You haven't even seen her _other_ attacks yet."

With a raise of an arm, more arrows were sent at me. This time, they only came from the sides, but they were much faster than the previous bunch. Fortunately, I didn't get hit once. I was getting used to the new attack style, and becoming better at recognizing the patterns. "Ha! See that?"

"There's more." Chara warned.

The wind was howling. I gave Undyne another kick to the head. She barely flinched. She sent more arrows at me, but they were slow as turtles, which was really saying something about that shop owner from a while ago. At first, I had thought they would be easy, but the sheer amounts of them coming from all sides in little bunchy clumps was a bit overwhelming. A few got me in the leg. I grimaced, but held on.

Undyne was the Undying now, sure, but she still couldn't be that hard. It wasn't anything I couldn't handle. Undyne swiped her spear over my soul, and for a moment I wondered if she had hurt me. Thankfully, it had only changed the color of my soul from green back to red. I could deal with that.

I kicked her again, and tried putting more force into it. She quivered slightly this time, and I knew that despite all the armor she was wearing, I was still doing a great job. Suddenly, spears surrounded me from all sides. Then each of them took their turns trying to aim at me. It was easy, but I wasn't watching where I was going. I ended up running my face into a couple of them.

It was okay! It was okay. I was fine. I still had enough health to last the next attack, surely. Swinging my leg, I brought it up to Undyne's face. She shook again, but quickly picked herself back up. Fat spears were now coming up from below. They came at a quick pace, but were huge and clumsy and only shot in one direction. Even still, one still scratched me on the arm.

Alright, it was time. Growling in defeat, I bit into another crabby apple. I was honestly feeling pretty crabby myself.

The next attack came so quick, I wasn't even prepared. I had been so focused on regaining my health that I hadn't noticed my soul was back to green. I tried to block the arrows, but accidentally used my hand instead of the spear, causing more unnecessary health loss. Frick.

The whole time, Chara helped out as best she could. She was obviously unsettled, but there was nothing more that she could do. This was my battle, not hers. More kicks, more fidgeting, and then a whole steady stream of fast arrows coming from above. I moved to block them, but got momentarily distracted when one came in from the side. I moved to block that one, but didn't move fast enough to return to the stream coming from above. In result, I got a few more hits in the head. Ouch.

I was already weakened, even though I just ate. Growling in annoyance, I swung my leg at full force. But my anger threw off my aim, and I hit her torso instead. Crap, I missed the head.

Chara paused for a moment, thinking. "Careful, the next attack is backwards."

"Backwards?!" I exclaimed, not understanding how the arrows could go backwards. But the attack was already coming. At first, it seemed normal enough. But then suddenly, the arrows were yellow. Just as I turned to block them, they suddenly sailed over my head to attack on the opposite side. Mouth gaping in surprise, I didn't watch myself well enough. More yellow arrows came down on me. Fighting to keep myself alive, I tried to find a pattern. But with all those things sailing over my head…

After that, I was completely drained. I had no choice but to bring my jaw up to another apple. This time, I noticed when she swiped her spear over my soul.

I thought I would've been prepared for the next attack, but I clearly wasn't. The spears' pattern was so bluntly obvious, yet it was impossible to dodge. The spun around me in a circle, leaving a few holes here and there for me to pop through. After passing that ring, a new one would come to surround me again. Taking too long would result in all of them hitting me at once. I was able to avoid the first ring, but the next one spun in the other direction, and I lost my coordination.

I got hit, again and again and again. So much that by the time the attack ended, I felt like I was at the end of my life strings. I was going to have to take a Snowman Piece now, whether I liked it or not. I crunched on one, its coldness filling up my mouth.

Even after that, I didn't feel completely well. The same attack was sent at me again, as if Undyne had figured out just how terrible I was at it. Trying to keep my eyes on the spears, I made my way through; getting bumped into, scratched, and sometimes pierced. By the end of that, I was left in the same state as the last attack. Growling in annoyance, I ate another Snowman Piece.

The next attack was back to yellow arrows. This time I watched them carefully, and made notes to myself on how they flew over my head. By the time it changed back to normal arrows, I felt unused to it. And then it was back to yellow arrows again, and I found myself struggling not to get damaged.

At the end, I wasn't much feeling very well. I only had two items left, and one of them was a useless crabby apple. In the end, I decided I didn't need to eat. After all, Undyne was looking pretty weak herself, despite holding onto that stupid grin of her's. _She_ wasn't eating anything to boost her health, so why did I need to?

"Don't be stupid." Chara growled. "If you need health, then take it."

I narrowed my eyes, but finally decided to listen. I munched into another apple, not wanting to waste my last good resort. With the apple core tossed aside, Undyne returned to sending arrows at me. Now there was a combination of yellow and normal arrows, and I kept finding my priorities shift from one type to another. I would be deflecting them head on for one moment, and then watching them sail over my head in the next.

I didn't get that attack at all. It didn't make sense! How in the world was I supposed to block all those arrows? Normal and yellow ones just did not go together. Undyne must've been cheating somehow. The attack was BS!

Chara was giving me an unamused expression. "You need to watch them more carefully."

"I am!"

"Not enough."

Frustrated, I gave another kick to Undyne's chestplate. It rattled against my shoes. Seeming annoyed, she sent more of the combined arrow attacks at me. She knew my weakness, and now she was trying to use it to her advantage.

I couldn't let her do that. I was going to have to try harder, and figure out the works. Narrowing my eyes, I suddenly felt my eyesight sharpen. Was Chara helping me? I then noticed the pattern almost immediately. Behind every normal arrow was a yellow one, so all I had to do was block the first one and then turn around to deflect the yellow one from behind. Simple!

There were a few close calls with me not turning fast enough, but eventually, the attack was over. Trying to see if I could knock Undyne off her feet, I aimed to kick her in the legs. She wobbled slightly from the impact, but didn't kneel over. She raised her spear and I waited for more yellow arrows, only to find that the next ones were extremely slow!

Chara helped me again. Putting more focus into my mind, I was able to foretell which arrows would arrive closer to me first. Then I would strike those before moving on to the next ones. We had good teamwork. I blocked every single one. Then I resumed to kicking Undyne in the head.

Frustrated, Undyne swiped her spear over my soul. It was red again. Now, we were back to spears. They still arrived in circles around me, but instead of shrinking, they just shot inwards and back out again before fading away. So basically, all I had to do was get out of their shooting range, and then focus on the next circle.

This proved to be very hard once the spears started moving ridiculously fast. I could barely see the circle of spears forming before they would fade away again to have a new circle take its place. Each time I dodged, the pride would be immediately erased due to the focus being trained onto a new circle of attacks. Soon, it was so fast I didn't even know which way to dodge anymore. There were so many of them that it jumbled my whole mind up.

In the end, I was left panting with scratches all over my arms and legs. I could feel a bruise forming on my ankle, and there was a huge bump forming on my cheek. It was gross. I had always been fast enough to avoid getting pierced, but apparently not quick enough to avoid every single one from barely catching up to me.

I had no choice. I was going to have to eat the last health resort.

Reluctantly, I brought the Snowman Piece up to my mouth. It was cold. I felt the magic work its way through my body. Most of the damage dealt from Undyne began to fade away, though a few still remained. It was annoying.

And then, we were back to the original circle spears attack. Growling, I tried my best to avoid them. I had to. I had just used my last health item, so more damage I earned now would be irreparable. I tried to focus, but failed. My rage towards Undyne was so strong, it blocked my common sense, and I ended up ramming into more than a fair share of spears just from stupidity. So much for not getting more hurt.

It was fine. Undyne looked just as worn down as me, and yet I had to use food items to get this far. I could survive her attacks. I could do it! If she could do it, then I would do it too. I would outlast her, until she was nothing but dust.

Rage fueling me, I struck her again. This time, she actually hunched over slightly. I could feel pride gleaming inside me. It wouldn't be long now!

Now I would just have to survive more of her stupid attacks. Seething, I watched the spears aim at me. Just as they started to move towards me, I would dodge out of the way at the last second. It proved effective until the spears started overlapping, like they were predicting where I would head next to avoid the spear before it. I got hit again. This was bad.

But I was so close! I could feel it. I just had to last a little longer, right? I tried to kick Undyne hard, but my weak state was also bringing down my ferocity. This time, Undyne barely flinched. She grinned in triumph, like she knew she was winning. More fat spears were sent from underneath me, and I moved around warily. Despite the obvious patterns, I got scratched up again.

I was panting for breath. The scratches were back, throbbing and annoying. I couldn't last much longer, that much was for sure. I was done for; a goner. How much more could I take before I fell? Two direct hits- no, maybe three at most. I couldn't take it. Undyne was much too hard, like Chara had warned, but I still had to try.

A kick to the chest was a bad idea, so I just stuck with the face kicks. Just moving my leg wore me out. Undyne looked irritated, yet excited all the same. I knew, I couldn't lose to her. Not when I was so close!

The second circle attack was back. I tried my best to focus. But the anger towards Undyne and her skills, the pain I could feel from all my scratches and bruises, the feeling I was getting from knowing that I would fail from a monster as weak as her… it was too much.

By the end, I was left in a small shivering mess. I could barely move or feel my arms. I was so weak, I couldn't even get up to give Undyne a kick in the shin. I tried to look Undyne in the eye, but her gaze was more determined, leaving me to shrink in on myself. I had failed. I was going to die.

I felt panicky. Was this my fate? To suffer in this place, to have to deal with these terrible monsters, just to die from the hands of one? Was I going to die in this horrible place, with my corpse rotting at the bottom of this endless abyss? Was I going to die from someone as weak as _Undyne_? Was I going to _die_?

It wasn't even the food problem, really. It was _me_. If only I knew every attack and how to avoid them, then I wouldn't even need the magic food in the first place. I wasn't a dodging master.

...but I knew someone that was. It was time to bring out the final move.

"Chara." I whispered under my breath. The answer was so simple.

"What?" She responded, irritated. Apparently, she was as equally upset about the situation as I was.

"Take control."

Her reaction was immediate. I could practically see her eyes widening in surprise, even though she was only in my head. "What?"

"Take control." I repeated. "I won't make it, you and I both know it. But _you_ can make it, I'm sure of it. Remember that time with the ghost?" I could remember it perfectly. How she avoided all the attacks like they were child's play.

"Of course." She whispered. "But are you sure about this?"

"Yes. You're better at it, and you know the attacks. I need you now. You won't fail me now, of all times, right?"

A brief moment of hesitation. Then finally, "Right. Ok."

Suddenly, I could feel myself getting pushed out. My limbs were suddenly moving on their own, probably Chara taking over. The only thing I could move were my eyes, and I stared at myself in amazement. I was now standing tall, seeming unhurt and undefeatable, despite all the obvious signs of injury. How was Chara doing it?

Undyne looked just as surprised. She narrowed her eyes suspiciously, but didn't say anything about it.

With moves as quick as lightning, I suddenly felt myself lurch forward. Successive kicks were dealt to Undyne's torso, and every hit sent her one step back. When the attack finally stopped, I landed lightly on the bridge. I felt as graceful as a feather, as quick as a cheetah. But I knew it wasn't me.

It was Chara.

Seeming infuriated at my comeback, Undyne screeched and raised her arm. It was the first spear circles attack. I waited to see how Chara would do, and it far exceeded my expectations. I could feel myself swiftly moving along, and I could feel the predictions that Chara was making in her own head. All the attacks suddenly seemed so easy, and my eyes trailed over the spears in amazement as Chara avoided every single one. I felt united; strong and powerful and fast. I was undefeatable when Chara was with me.

The attack was already over, and we hadn't earned a single extra scratch. I could feel pride boiling deep inside me. This was the power that Chara had been trying to show me. The power of teamwork, and how with the two of us combined, we were impossible to beat. I knew it now, I could feel it. With her controlling me, I was strong and cool. I should've done this sooner. It felt amazing.

I could feel Chara's smile in my head. She took a few steps forward, and I could feel my own grin stretching out on my face. It was Chara's grin though, not mine, but I figured I would've done the same if she were not in my place.

I felt my leg move up one last time to deal a fat kick to Undyne stomach, and it was suddenly over. Undyne lurched from the impact before shaking and bending over on her knees. She clenched her spear tightly, trying to hold herself up, but having a hard time doing so. She looked like she was in pain, but it was only fair that she had to experience what I went through.

"Damn it…" She growled angrily, a hand over her chest. "So even _that_ power… it wasn't enough...?"

I commanded Chara to give my mouth control back, and she obliged. "It's nothing compared to our teamwork." I said. Chara didn't give me any sharp looks, because she knew. She knew that no matter what I said to Undyne now, the words would die with her. "It's over, Undyne."

The fish lady shivered in place for a few moments, looking tired and beaten. "Heh…" She smiled a little, and I frowned in response. "Heheheh…" Suddenly, she picked herself up, grinning from fin to fin. "If you… If you think I'm gonna give up hope, you're wrong. 'Cause I've… got my friends behind me." She took deep ragged breaths, as if talking was enough to wear her out. "Alphys told me that she would watch me fight you… and if anything went wrong, she would… evacuate everyone." She gave me a steely grin. "By now, she's called _Asgore_ and told him to absorb the _human soul_. And with that power…"

She continued to grin sadistically, her form slowly… melting? It was like her body was losing her shape, as she slowly morphed into what looked like a mucky puddle. Even the spear itself was becoming deformed, even though it wasn't part of her. Her next words were broken apart and scattered everywhere, but I still managed to understand them. "This world will live on…!" She held on for a few more seconds, trying keep herself together. But a moment later, her remains faded to dust.

I blinked at the scene, awed. My soul returned to my form; the end of the battle. I waited as Chara slowly seeped out of my form, and I felt my control coming back to me. Suddenly, the pain was back, and I fell onto my knees, shaking.

"You okay?" Chara asked, worried. She was floating next to me.

"I've…" I raised my arms in triumph. "I've never felt better! W-we beat her! We beat _Undyne_! Haha! Ha..." I felt my arms slowly droop, and I winced. "Anyway, who's Alphys? And what did she mean by Asgore taking the... souls?"

"The soul belongs to another child that the monsters killed." Chara answered, to which I shivered some more. "But that's not the point. Right now, you're hurt. We need to get your health back."

"Then let's keep going."

Chara frowned skeptically. "Or we could go back."

Did she mean go back for the Crab Apples? That was so far away! "Why would we do that? We've come so far. So the only way is forwards!" I picked myself up and slowly started limping forwards. Chara looked worried, but kept up with me as I moved on, step by step.

The wind had died down now. We were finally off the damn bridge, and then there was another bridge. Rolling my eyes, I crossed that one and reached a huge cave entrance. It was rocky and tall, the tips of the cave top pointing up into sharp stalagmites. It looked dangerous and threatening, like it was warning me of an ominous upcoming event. But I knew, nothing could be more dangerous than what I had just faced and defeated. I approached it slowly, trying to see into the darkness. Nothing.

 _Determination._ I felt a little better after that.

So I headed in. At first, I couldn't see much, but then my eyes slowly adjusted. Just when I noticed the river flowing from below, I stopped. There was a figure not too far ahead. It hadn't been there a few moments ago. It was too big to be insignificant, and too shapely to be a rock. So what was it? A monster?

I narrowed my eyes when the figure moved. So it was definitely alive. "Who's there?" I called. My words echoed around the cavern.

The figure shifted slightly. Then from the shadows, a boy with a cowboy hat appeared. He looked like a professional, eyes hard and hat tilted at the perfect angle. Pointing his gun in my direction, he scowled. "Justice, in service."

* * *

 **What? She beat Undyne on her FIRST TRY? Even I am slightly disappointed. (Why must you be so awesome at this, Chara?!)**

 **...And thus, the long awaited Cowboy finally makes his appearance. (It's about time!)**


	13. Invidious

**The long awaited chapter where (as everyone has already guessed) Cowboy will meet his terrible fate!**

* * *

Surprisingly enough, I didn't feel threatened. Instead, I raised an eyebrow at his appearance. "Now, who's this?" I mumbled.

"Another human." Chara answered with the obvious.

I rolled my eyes. "Oh! Another human. Please tell me you aren't as stupid as the rest of them?" The gun he was holding was an answer enough, but I wanted to check, just to make sure.

The boy readjusted his hold on the gun handle. "I'll give you one last chance." He hesitated slightly before continuing. "Promise to stop the genocide now, or I'll be forced to fight you." His voice was steady and sincere, though I could tell he was struggling to keep the act up. "You'll be sorry."

I stared at him, unamused. "Really? You sure about that?"

"Yes." This answer, at least, was confident. "You're in no shape to fight me. You just finished your battle with Undyne, and now you're left weak. It'll be easy taking you down, and you know it."

I narrowed my eyes and scowled. How did he know all that? Unless he was watching my fight the whole time? How? Most of what he said was true, since the scratches were still on me. But even though I was physically drained, I knew that I was still mentally strong. He couldn't plainly ignore _that._ "Did you just call me _weak_?"

"What?" His hand lowered a little. "You're not?"

I laughed a little, and the newcomer looked disturbed. "Me, weak? I'm the opposite of that." I raised my arms, feeling glorified. "Look at all the monsters I've destroyed, and the experience I've earned! I'll bet I have more than _you_. Which makes me stronger." I crossed my arms in conclusion. "You have no right to say that I'm weak."

"You're crazy." He decided. "But Justice can still make exceptions. It's now or never, you genocider. Either you quit, or we battle to the death."

"Fight me." I bit back.

"Frisk." Chara warned. "You really are in no state to fight. We don't want to risk your life, since this guy is obviously looking for your death. Maybe you can find another way through."

I raised an eyebrow. "Am I hearing right? Chara, my best pal, suggesting something other than fighting?" I smiled amusedly. "Really."

Chara was _un_ amused. "Trust me, I would love to stay and fight. But you're in no shape to handle any more of those. Not until you've found some monster food to heal yourself back up."

It wasn't like I had much of a choice anyway. The boy was already heading forwards, initiating a battle. There was no turning back. The fight was on.

My red soul showed up, deep and vibrant. Looking up, I noticed that my opponent's soul was yellow, bright and glowy. Before I could question it, he was flipped right around. Literally. It was like gravity had suddenly went backwards on him, except his hair was still falling downwards in his upside-down form. Even the hat was staying on somehow. Fortunately for him, his shirt was tucked in.

Not able to contain it, I laughed. It looked so ridiculous, I didn't even know how to react. He was still suspended in air but hanging upside down, like his feet were tied up and hung on a street light or something. However, he only glared back and pointed his gun.

In the next moment, I was up in the air, with Chara at my shoulder. "Are you sure about this?" She asked one last time.

"I'm fine! Stop worrying about me, and start helping me out." Chara gave me a skeptical look before fading before me. I could already feel her presence inside of me, and I gave her the rightful permission to help out.

The air was cold, but there was no wind. My skin prickled in anticipation, and I licked my dry lips. (Ugh, I'm thirsty.) I was ready and prepared, despite the insults the guy liked to throw at me. I wasn't going to be dented. I had to stay strong. The opponent flew upwards (while upside-down) and after taking his aim, he pulled the trigger. "This is for _Justice_!" He shouted.

The effect was immediate. Bullets swarmed in my direction, small but quick. But I could be quicker. This wasn't much different from Undyne flinging spears at me. I moved to the right, lifting my arm to avoid a stray bullet. The boy fired more shots, and I dodged them while slowly making my way towards him.

His gaze was concentrated as he continued to shoot bullets at me. Why were they yellow? Was it because his soul was the same color? Whatever, it didn't matter. What mattered was that I was slowly approaching him, even though he kept backing away. Eventually, he would meet a dead end, and there would be no more escaping for him.

Just when I thought I had him trapped, he ducked behind a corner. Scowling, I trailed after him to find that he had escaped into another hallway just as long as the last, except there was no river underneath. Surprised at the sudden scenery change, I wasn't careful enough to see the bullets that passed by my head. One grazed me on the arm.

Annoyed, I made my way over to him again. Just how much ammo did that puny little thing have? It couldn't be much, considering its tiny size. Then how was he still firing things from it? Certainly, this was extremely puzzling.

"It's the soul." Chara whispered. "His type of soul is special in a way so that he can create an infinite, unending amount of bullets as he pleases. But the downside..."

"Is being stuck upside down?" I smirked. "Figured as much."

I continued to chase after him, only to be momentarily distracted by a nearby sign. There were only a few capped words on it, saying: _WELCOME T_. I figured that it must've been broken or something, due to the dull color of its outlining and how the words weren't moving.

Crap, I was distracted again. In the few moments that I had wasted staring at the sign, the opponent had gotten further away and managed to scrape my legs with a couple more bullets. Snorting in disbelief, I decided to just charge forward, head-first into the offending objects. It was okay if I took a few hits, as long as I could quickly meet my target and end it all.

But it was a bad idea. I realized it immediately after direct contact with the first bullet, and I retreated, rubbing my arm in anguish. It burned like the Ruins ghost's acid, and it left a huge bruise mark. I had expected them to bounce off like plastic, not bump into me like rocks. Maybe it had been a bad idea to underestimate my opponent. I was lucky that the bullet didn't actually pierce me.

Cowboy seemed to notice my distress, and smiled triumphantly. "See? You're in no shape to fight! If this keeps up, you'll surely lose. Justice always wins in the end, you know that?" Despite his casual talk, he never let down his guard. It was good of him to be so smart. "Just surrender now!"

His talk was slightly enraging. " _Never_!" I snarled. Then I leaped forward again, despite my common sense.

"Stop that!" Chara snapped, irritated. "Don't let anger get the better of you. It will only serve to your disadvantage!"

Like I cared! I rammed into more bullets, feeling them scrape my skin and bruise my bones, but I could care less. I was just a few feet away from my target now! I just had to go a little more-

I stopped when I felt my soul stop. Looking down, I saw a bullet shape right in the center of my soul, and I immediately felt dread seep into me. Energy sapped out of me, and I found myself flopping to the ground uselessly. The soul retracted back into me, but I continued to struggle. I tried to move. I tried to get up. But I was so tired, so drained, and courses of pain rocketed through all my limbs.

I saw a foot in front of me. It was the boy's. He was back on the ground, unfortunately. Was he going to kill me now? Would he end it all? I waited pensively, realizing that he was stalling just to make me nervous. Just to make the end all the more worse when it finally came. The wait was agonizing.

"I warned you." Chara mumbled.

I didn't understand. So _this_ was my fate? To survive countless monster attacks, only to be killed by the hands of my own species? What was this utter stupidity? I growled just thinking about it, feeling the irony of it all. Here I was, trying to help humanity out by eradicating the monster species, and this was how they treated me? This was their thanks, their gratitude?

I halted my thoughts once I felt something press up against my head. It felt like a gun's barrel. "This is your punishment." The boy said, monotone. "Justice _will_ be served." It was like a final statement, the final judgement from the court of execution. It felt final. So he was finally going to do it? I closed my eyes tight, waiting. If I was really going to die, then I hoped that he would make it quick. Then I could escape this cruel world and move onto the next.

...it still didn't come. What was up? "I… I…" The boy's words were trembling, and I could feel the barrel of the gun shaking with him. What was he doing? I cracked an eye open and stared up at him, and that's when I felt it. A drop of wetness fall onto my cheek.

He was crying.

What in the heck? He could finally kill me, and instead he was choosing now of all times to cry his butt out? Would kind of stupid justice statement was this? I felt annoyance well up inside me. Apparently, a heroic death was too much to ask for. Instead, I got this weenie of a human that wasn't even tough enough to carry out his own sentences.

But right now, I wasn't one to talk. I was at his will, weak and laying upon the dirt floor, eating dust. Right now, he still had the power over me. There was nothing I could do.

Or maybe there was.

"Chara." I hissed, trying to get her attention in my mind.

"Hm?" She sounded distracted, like she was thinking very hard.

"Now." I ordered. "Take control again."

"Again?" She didn't seem very surprised this time, but her wariness hadn't disappeared.

"Yeah. You can deal with this guy, right?"

"Easily." Chara responded. "Although right now, I'm not sure if your body can cope with it or not."

"It can." I confirmed. "It has to. And if I have to die in the process, I'm bringing down this bratty guy with me."

I could tell Chara was amused by my antics, even if it was only a little bit. "Fine." She agreed.

Once again, I felt myself leaving my body, and I focused my concentration into my eyes. Almost immediately, I could feel my body moving again, at least to some degree. I felt stronger again, my limbs filling with strength as the pain from my damaged soul faded away. Chara was taking control.

The boy blinked at us, signs of wetness still at the edges of his eyes. " _H-huh_?"

Before he could react, I was upon him. Or make that, _Chara_ was. With a quick swipe of the leg, the gun was kicked straight out of his hand, and it flew into the air, sailing above our heads. The guy just stared at us, blinking in awe. Since he was too busy gaping, I caught the gun in my hand and shoved him up against the wall, pointing it at his head. He was in our grasp now.

"H-how?" He exclaimed, shock finally registering onto his face. "Y-your soul was almost upon breaking point! I saw it with my own two eyes! How did you-"

"Oh wait." I grinned, words that weren't mine coming out of my mouth. "This gun doesn't even work. Guess I'll have to toss it." My hand flicked the weapon before it clattered onto the ground. My ballet shoe crushed it instantly afterwards, breaking it to pieces. It was surprisingly easy to grind into the ground.

He stared at it with wide eyes. "N-no!" He yelped, probably from the terror of us getting rid of his only weapon. He was defenseless now. "T-that belongs to!..."

"I don't _care_ who it belongs to." I said- no, _Chara_ said. "What matters is that now, the tables are turned!~" The end of the statement was twirled into a little sing-song voice. Chara was very good at teasing, I noticed.

He struggled under our grasp, but we had pinned him to the wall. Only his legs were free, and he attempted to kick us. Annoying. Time to teach him a lesson for messing with us. A kick in the shin, a knee in the stomach, a slap across the face. That would be good.

"So a few moments ago," I inquired. "What were you saying about Justice this and Justice that?"

We stopped a moment to wait for his response. The only thing he garbled out was, "You'll _never_ win, you know. Not against _him_ , never against him…"

Who was this, 'him?' My face neared his, and I could see fear in his eyes. "How about a _slap_ back into reality?" I grinned. Cue a mimic of a slap.

It was his turn to make a face now. It was a contorted mixture of confusion and disgust. "Puns? _Now_?"

"Why not?" I gave him another few punts to his torso before letting go of him and allowing him to drop to the ground to suck dust. "I thought a pun like that would've been one of my... _greatest hits._ "

He grimaced and I laughed. Chara and I _both_ laughed, together. It was funny, the pun _and_ the pain he seemed to be going through. Now he knew how I felt when he tried attacking me, and what I had to go through to defeat Undyne. Now he could experience the crap I went through to get as far as I did.

Chara wanted to advance on him to deal the finishing blow, but I stopped her. Let him suffer in his misery. It would teach an unforgettable lesson.

"I thought he said it was a battle to the death?" Chara pointed out.

"But we're not playing by his dumb rules. Let him fail at his own promises." Chara hesitated, but reluctantly agreed a moment later, and we turned around to leave him. But we were stopped from a tight hand gripping onto our ankle.

Annoyed, we turned back around. "What?" I questioned, staring at Cowboy's limp form. "Do you _want_ to die?"

He was whimpering, but he cleared his throat. "Y-you can't leave until we've settled this!"

A moment of a pause as I considered this. Was he really so dense? "It's already settled."

"Not until I go down!" Cowboy growled, and suddenly, he pounced upon us. Surprised at the sudden attack and surge of strength from our so-called weak opponent, Chara and I fell to the ground with him on top of us. He attempted to punch us or something of the sort, but I never got to see it. Chara had already went to knee him in the stomach, and while he was busy clutching it, we got ourselves back up and pounced back on him.

But in his grasp, there was now a plastic shard of his broken gun. It had been laying around close to him, and he grabbed it first chance he got. Then as quick as lightning, he had jabbed it into our shoulder, and I felt myself losing my strength. Something was trickling down my side.

"Crap!" Chara cursed. "Your body can't last much longer!"

"Make him stop it!" I yelled back, feeling the shard going deeper into my shoulder. Panicking, we grabbed ahold of the first weak spot we could get our hands on; his neck. Before I knew what was happening, we had started to tightly clench his throat, effectively loosening his hold on the shard. I didn't know when to stop. Things were going crazy; wet stuff I assumed to be blood was slinking its way down my chest, a sharp thing was embedded into my arm, and his eyes were lolled up into the back of his head.

He suddenly grew still. Very still.

Blinking, we finally let go. His hold on the shard fell away, and we immediately made our move to pull it out of our shoulder. It didn't hurt at all, even though I could feel the blood flowing like a river. This made it hard to judge the damage; was it a little cut, or a huge hole? I was too scared to look, and my head was angled at a way so that my eyes couldn't reach the scene.

Before us lay the limp body of our opponent. One of his sleeves were coated in red from holding onto the bloodied shard for so long, and his whole form was slumped and lifeless. I didn't dare look at his eyes again. I was afraid I would see what I had seen in the ribbon girl's eyes there. I was scared.

I continued to blink; silent, thoughtful. Just what had happened? Everything had went so fast, I didn't even quite understand it. One moment, we were going for cheerful puns, and the next moment, it had transformed into _this._

I waited for the guilt to escalate, but it didn't. I narrowed my eyes confusedly, staring at the body. Was he… dead? That couldn't be possible… I hadn't even made my grip that tight. It couldn't have been enough to kill him, would it?

Realization slowly made its way into me, and I trembled slightly at first, until I was shaking almost uncontrollably. I tried to hold it down. I tried.

I had pushed Cinder into a river, yet never felt like this. Why was this one different? Why did this conclusion make me feel so much more desperate and empty? The answer came to me quickly. It was because this one _was_ different. Cinder had only fallen into a river and disappeared right after. I hadn't killed her, and she might still be alive for all we know. But this guy… we had… we… I gulped and returned to shivering.

However, Chara was still in control of my body, not me. So I slowly stood from my position; first on my knees, then with the help of my palms, carefully lifting myself up to my feet. I felt so tall, towering over his figure and the dusty dirt that surrounded his now forever still form. My eyes felt watery. I was so tired of this.

Chara finally broke the silence with some words of comfort. "I know you're in shock right now." She said. "But we did what we had to. If we hadn't done that, you would've died." Chara must've noticed my questioning thoughts, so she explained, "Your body is in an extremely weak state right now. The only reason it's even standing is because I'm forcing it to. If you took control back right now, you would fall right over and probably bleed to death. The reason you don't feel anything is because I'm blocking the pain signals."

"You can do that?"

"Yes." A moment of a pause where I don't respond. "You're tired, I understand. Fortunately, allowing me to take control means that you can mentally take a break. So basically… you can catch a nap right now, if you like."

I yawned inwardly, and realized it was a good suggestion. Taking a break from all this was an especially good idea. But I didn't think I could go to sleep, even if I tried. So many things were on my mind, from doubt to guilt to nothing but satisfaction. I hated that last part.

"Don't worry." Chara said. "I'll make sure you're completely safe while you're asleep. And I can still see perfectly fine when your eyes are closed. While you're napping, I can also go grab some health items. By the time you're awake, you'll be in perfect health. I promise."

I could feel my eyes droop, the sight of the boy lying before me slowly fading out of my vision. Turning into nothing more than a bad dream; a piece of my imagination. "You promise?"

"I promise." She repeated, and feeling satisfied, I felt my consciousness drift off into another world.

* * *

 **I really need to thank most of you for being so nice! (Despite everything, you remain positive! Thank you! :D )**


	14. Back on Track

**I just noticed that the chapter title is a Geometry Dash song. :D**

* * *

I woke up feeling groggy, and I found myself laying on something soft and comfortable. Something was laid onto me, like a blanket or something? Suddenly, I could feel doubt and irritation fill me, and I quickly sat myself up. Indeedly, it was a blanket, a kind of deep salmon red. It reminded me of blood. What I had been laying on was a single yellow pillow. Feeling surprised that I was laying in a _bed_ of all places, I turned side to side to get a better look around the room.

The decorator of the room had the weirdest taste I had ever seen. The place was fashioned to look like an inn room, except everything was elaborately fancier, so I guessed it was something better. Like a motel, maybe? There were more red desks to the side, and they stood balanced on single wheels. One of them had a lamp without a light switch. Another was a shape that looked a lot like the lamp, but with further inspection, it was actually just a bottle with a very large cap. A portrait of… whatever it was hung above the bed frame.

What was I doing here, sleeping in this strange room? What had I been doing before I got here? I narrowed my eyes and tried to think, but my mind felt whirled. It felt like someone was missing. It felt a little empty inside the room, the vast empty size of it slowly becoming an intimidating fright. Someone was supposed to be here with me, I could tell. Everything was lonelier without them. But who?

Just as I remembered, the so-called person floated into the room. Through the wall.

"Chara!" I exclaimed, with obvious relief.

She tilted her head up and finally noticed that I was awake. "Oh, you're finally up." She smiled a little bit. "You slept like a log." She teased.

"I am _not_ a log." I protested, crossing my arms. "What are we doing here anyway? Where is ' _here_ ', even?"

"Mettaton's Hotel." Chara replied, floating over. "Basically a hunky piece of metal got an entire hotel named after him."

I frowned. "Seriously?"

"Seriously."

A pang of realization suddenly struck me as I remembered the events that occurred before this. Before I was sleeping in Mettaton's hotel bed. We had been in the Waterfall, and the boy had showed up, and we had wrestled a bit, right before I…

Chara noticed my sudden silence, and nodded her head a little. "You remember." It wasn't a question. It was a statement.

I gulped, the words stuck in my mouth. "I… killed him."

"So?"

"I killed someone. I killed another human. I killed someone of my same species." I shuddered just thinking about it. Was I a _murderer_ now?

"You had to." Was Chara's response.

"Did I, though?" Was Chara just trying to make me feel better?

"Yes." She responded factually. "It had to be done. If you had not, _you_ would've died."

I shivered just thinking about my death. I could imagine it, my life bleeding away on the tiles, my soul lingering on the verge of death, and my eyelids slowly closing to accept the end… I shook my head. "I almost died?"

"Yes. One more second, and your soul would've shattered. Too much blood loss. Or something."

I frowned. "Really? But I don't remember feeling like dying. And nothing hurt either. And nothing hurts now."

"I was blocking the pain signals." Chara said, unamused. "Remember? I told you that before you fell asleep. And after the battle, I went to find more monster food to eat. That's why you're all healed up."

"Oh…" I mumbled, remembering how Chara had controlled me. If she was in my body, then she was technically capable of eating her own food to restore my own health. It made sense.

But even with Chara here, I still felt empty. It wasn't just on the outside, but something on the inside was bugging me too. Something was missing inside me. But what?

Chara seemed to notice my inner struggles, and she shrugged. "Really, don't dread on it. You did what you had to do, and another's death can't make what you did wrong." At my face of doubt, she sighed and leaned in closer. "Let me narrow it down for you, partner. In that situation, it was _literally_ kill or be killed. Either he dies, or you die. You were only following the rules, understand?"

I hesitated, but then after a moment, I feebly nodded my head. "Yeah." Better his death than mine. After all, I needed to get home.

"Good." She started floating away from the bed, indicating that I should start getting up too.

I climbed from the bed, and was surprised to see that my shoulder was completely healed. There wasn't even a scar in sight. Once I was on the floor, I bounced a bit to test my leg muscles. They weren't entirely awake yet, but they weren't sore either. They didn't hurt like I had just been in a life threatening situation.

I was barefoot. The ballet shoes sat on the floor not to far away. I bent down to pick them up before sitting back down on the bed to tie them on.

I pondered Chara's words as I worked. "But it was still wrong to kill him." I added as an afterthought.

She turned at my statement, eyebrow raised. "When did I ever say it was right?"

* * *

Once we stepped out the hotel inn, Chara instructed me to another double-door that lead to a sunny-looking shop. Everything was shiny and glinted in the light, like gold. Only one thing wasn't as sunny as the room, and it was the store clerk. He was shaking like he had a disease. Or maybe he was just cold?

His entire face was scrunched up as I approached, and I heard him whisper under his breath, "Why do I always get the freaks?"

I could already tell, I was gonna love this guy.

"So your employer is Mettaton, I'm guessing." I eyed the golden surfaces of the whole room. "He really has terrible taste, doesn't he?"

Under his breath, I could hear him muttering something about sandwiches made of sequins, glitter, and glue. What a strange mix.

"Why're you still here?" I pondered, raising an eyebrow. "You're like, the only one." The rest of the hotel was empty. Or at least, it looked empty enough from first-glance.

"You're yanking my chain, little weirdo." He raised his hand defiantly. "So _what_ if everybody else left work? So _what_ if nobody's buying anything?" He put down his hand, speaking in a grave tone, but still grinning. "Par for the course, little weirdo. Par for the course."

"That doesn't make any sense. If you don't _have_ to work, then why are you still here?"

"Well." He looked downwards, thinking. "Mettaton didn't tell me I _had_ to work, I guess…" Then he raised his arms, a ridiculous grin spread across his face. "But that's the thing! Sometimes he doesn't even call me into work until halfway into my shift!" His face calmed down some. "If I don't play it safe, he's going to yell at me."

Mettaton was obviously a very bad employer. "So? Yelling isn't so bad."

He lit a cigarette, sticking it into his mouth. "Okay, maybe 'yell' is the wrong term." He admitted. "It's more like he has this… CD album he plays…" He put his hands together as he shook. "That's entirely full of songs. About how bad I am. At my job."

I snickered. "Nice. Oh, by the way, I do believe no one is here because they're all dead." Chara raised an eyebrow at my antics.

"Huh? Everyone else is _dead_?" Maybe I could finally get a reaction out of this guy. He looked to the ground for a moment before glancing back up with a hopeful grin. "...Does that mean I don't have to work today?"

...this guy was such an idiot. "...yes." I answered.

"Gosh." He was back to smoking, grinning like an idiot. "That it were true, little weirdo. That it were true."

"It is true." I answered, eyeing the food items on display behind his back. "If you just step out that damn shop and stop hiding behind your stupid counter, then your dreams will be fulfilled." And I can get my hands on those healing foods without paying. "All it takes is a couple of steps, lazy-butt."

"Sorry, little weirdo. Threats won't work on me." He sighed a little. "I can't go to hell. I'm all out of vacation days."

Vacation days? I pouted, but could clearly tell that this wasn't going to work. This guy was an idiot, and it was basically impossible to reason with him. The food looked great, but were much too expensive anyway. The only way I would want to get them was by getting them for free; aka stealing. But if he wasn't going to cooperate or listen to my well made advice, then it wasn't my fault.

"Let's leave already." Chara grumbled.

I turned to leave. "Alone again." He mumbled behind me as he continued to smoke.

* * *

Chara directed me to the exit of the hotel, and we left it behind for good. Worried about approaching another life-death situation, I checked my supply of food. In my pockets were a couple bags of junk food, and I had no idea where they came from. Chara explained that she had gotten ahold of them before finding the Hotel Inn. I was just relieved that I had food items.

The next area was a lot brighter. Up ahead was an elevator, and I used it to climb to a higher floor. The hall I reached lead directly to a fancy neon door. It looked important, so of course, Chara told me to enter it. I passed through the doorway.

It was dark. It gave off an ominous feeling, like this would be the end. I stepped forward and saw a familiar shape. It was rectangular and had arms; it looked a lot like the picture frame above the bed in the inn. Was this Mettaton? Chara's nod indicated that it was. All this talk about him, and this was it? This was the guy that constantly battered up the shop guy in the hotel? He was a lot less impressive than I thought he would be. Chara was right, he _was_ just a hunk of metal.

"MY, MY." It spoke dramatically. "SO YOU'VE FINALLY ARRIVED. AND I'VE REALIZED… SOMETHING GHASTLY."

"That you're gonna die?" I guessed hopefully. Maybe he would just back off early on.

"YOU'RE NOT JUST A THREAT TO MONSTERS." It said instead. "BUT TO HUMANITY AS WELL."

"..." I frowned. "What the heck? Is it just because of that _one_ guy? That was an accident!" How was it that everybody knew about it? It's almost as if it had been broadcasted live to the whole Underground or something.

It promptly ignored me. "MY MY. THAT'S AN ISSUE. YOU SEE, I CAN'T BE A STAR WITHOUT AN AUDIENCE. AND BESIDES… THERE ARE SOME PEOPLE… I WANT TO PROTECT."

"You're a robot." I said, unamused and stepping forward. "You can't accomplish shiz."

"HA HA HA." It laughed robotically. "EAGER AS ALWAYS, EH? BUT THERE'S SOMETHING YOU HAVEN'T ACCOUNTED FOR. AS ANY TRUE FAN WOULD KNOW, I WAS FIRST CREATED AS A HUMAN ERADICATION ROBOT."

"Wow. A great thing you turned out to be."

"IT WAS ONLY AFTER BECOMING A STAR THAT I WAS GIVEN A MORE… PHOTOGENIC BODY. HOWEVER, THOSE ORIGINAL FUNCTIONS HAVE NEVER BEEN FULLY REMOVED… COME ANY CLOSER AND I'LL BE FORCED TO SHOW YOU…" He raised his arms dramatically. "MY TRUE FORM!"

Undaunted, I stepped forward. "FINE THEN." His display screen turned to a crimson red. "RRREADY? IIIIITS SHOW TIME!"

A flash, and then a completely different Mettaton stood before me. In fact, I could barely tell it was Mettaton at all, if it were not for the fact that no one else was in the room with us, so it had to be him. His rectangular form had now transformed into a much more humanoid figure. He actually had a pair of legs now, his right hand was a blaster, he had wild spiky hair, and giant 3D wings were on display behind him, flashing constantly.

I was a little shocked, truth be told. This was a bit too close of a reminder to the Undyne fight. Undyne turned to the Undying. I had so much trouble with her. And now Mettaton has turned into this.

"Mettaton NEO." Chara supplied for me.

I took a wary step back. I suddenly didn't feel so confident anymore. Mettaton NEO's right eye was covered by the shadow of his hair, but I felt intimidated. This was a much stronger opponent, a greater foe. This would be a challenge.

"Don't worry." Chara reassured me. "Mettaton's nothing compared to Undyne."

I didn't know if it meant that Mettaton was much easier or hella harder. I was just going to have to go with the flow and take my chances. I slowly stepped back forward, trying to test out the strength in my feet. Was the head still the best place to strike? Yeah, maybe.

I'll get to attack first. I don't know why, but it seems to be some kind of monster tradition to let your opponent go first. I was going to have to take advantage of that. I prepared myself to swing my leg, but felt myself freeze when a scene flashed before my eyes. The scene of the boy being choked to death by my own hands, and the light in his eyes slowly fading away as they lolled into the back of his head…

Breaking out of my thoughts, I stepped back, panting. Chara faced me dubiously, noticing my pained expression. "What's wrong?" She looks worried.

I wasn't in my right mind right now. I was still thinking about that guy's death, and now I was incapable of even throwing a proper kick to a _robot_. What was this idiocy? If Mettaton NEO was as hard as I guessed he was, then I wasn't going to bet my chances on winning, especially when I could barely swing my leg properly. I felt myself shaking a bit, the realization covering me like a suffocating blanket. I couldn't win like this.

So I called on to the first thing that I knew would save me. "Chara."

"What?" She asked, irritated.

"Control me again. Please."

She turned to me, a frown on her face. "What? Again? You're not even dying this time."

Did I really have to _convince_ her? "I don't want to wait for it to come to that." I responded. "But if you do it now, this'll be much easier, and we'll never even have to come close to defeat." I suddenly realized why I felt so empty, and I stood taller. "When you're with me, I'm braver. When you're helping me, I'm stronger. Without you, I can't do anything well. I _need_ your guidance."

Chara blinked for a moment at the speech, but then she grinned. "Will do, partner." She faded before my eyes, and I was pushed out once again. My fingers flexed a bit, and I could tell that Chara was warming up. Peering out of my eyes, I watched Mettaton NEO. He no longer looked as scary. With Chara, this would be a piece of cake.

I stepped onwards with renewed strength, but his own grin didn't falter. His brought his hands out wide, waiting for my next attack. I tip-toed forwards, showing him a sideways grin.

Then I jumped up, throwing my legs forward. With a strong thrust, my foot collided with Mettaton's head. The pain didn't even register as I continued to kick with unimaginable force, practically causing his neck to snap. I wouldn't lose. I would win. I _would_ win!

And then I was back on the ground, staring up at a completely still Mettaton NEO. Had I done a lot of damage, or basically none at all? His eyes were closed as he started to shake. "GH…" I could hear the engine rapidly whirring inside him. "GUESS YOU DON'T WANT TO JOIN MY FANCLUB...?" He inquired weakly, a pitiful smile on his face.

Then a huge blast lead to the explosion of Mettaton NEO. His parts spiraled out of control, and not understanding what was happening, I was grateful that Chara was in control. She jumped, swerved, and avoided all flying projectiles. When the mess was over and when the clouds had finally cleared, I realized something.

Mettaton NEO was destroyed.


	15. The Golden Hall

**Yeah, it's been a while right?**

 **Sorry for that totally unexpected and necessary hiatus, but I must admit that I haven't exactly been spending all that time doing nothing! :D See, I was trying to finish the entire Genocide Run chapters before posting them, just in case. And so... I'm basically _almost_ done, but I decided to get this chapter out and at it 'cuz I figured it was about time to post _something_. o_o**

 **(...And also for a little special event I call "my birthday" but ehhhhh that's not the point :D )**

* * *

"Wow." I mouthed, staring at the broken pieces littered around the black room. There didn't even seem to be enough pieces left to _make_ another robot, much less repair him. "Wow." I repeated.

Unfortunately, I hadn't actually spoken out loud, since my mouth was still in Chara's control. But I could care less at the moment.

We had beat Mettaton NEO. He had looked so hard. But we had actually beat him, and with _one_ attack. Just one. And it was enough to utterly defeat him. Then he exploded.

I wasn't sure whether to jump for joy or frown with disappointment. (Technically I couldn't do either with Chara in control, but whatever.) He was supposed to be hard, right? Then had it been so easy to defeat him? Yet at the same time, I knew I should've been happy. We've defeated him. Now he no longer stands in our way. We've gotten rid of the enemy, so now we can proceed.

Chara just stands in silence as she waits for me to sort my own thoughts out. I was surprised she could stand so calmly and confidently. Had she known that Mettaton NEO would be defeated in one hit? How? And if so, why didn't she tell me?

She noticed my discomfort and sighed. "Honestly," She said with my mouth. "If every little thing is going to surprise you, then you might as well be dead with shock right now."

"But doesn't it surprise you at all? That we defeated it in _one_ hit?"

"Well, a little." She admitted, examining her fingernails. Er… my fingernails. "But do you know how powerful we are right now? I would be more surprised if we _hadn't_ beat him in the first few hits."

I frowned. "We're _that_ strong?"

"Yes." She confirmed. "While you were sleeping away, I defeated a lot of monsters with your body. You have a ton more experience now."

"Experience? But it wasn't even me who was doing it. I wasn't even awake! How is it possible for me to experience things I can't see or feel?"

"You didn't experience it." Chara answered. "But your _body_ did. And that's what counts. Battling so many monsters has caused you to become tougher, making you better for taking in damage _and_ giving it out. That's why you're so strong."

I blinked in awe. While I had been sleeping, Chara had been working hard to help me. Who knew how many she had defeated? She was so good at it, I bet it must've been a ton. That would've been so much experience… No wonder I was so tough!

...not to mention that it must've been pretty weird for all the monsters. After all, they were fighting a human that had their eyes closed! And yet, they were still getting turned to dust. It must've been pretty embarrassing for their whole lot, to get eliminated by a human that couldn't even seem to see anything.

"Thanks!" I chirped happily.

"For what?"

"For helping me even when I'm slacking off!"

She grinned. "You were just sleeping, so I just figured I could help out. There's no need to waste precious time when it's right at your fingertips."

"Ah… so then when you defeated enough, you just put me in the inn?"

"I climbed into the bed and made myself comfortable before leaving your body." She corrected. "Then I went to scout ahead for dangers. When you had woken up, I was just coming back." Seeming to have explained enough, she moved my legs forward to walk. "By the way, you know you can take control back now, right?"

"Well, yeah." I responded. "But I like it like this. We're both working together as a team, and it makes everything more easy and fun. Not to mention that your battle skills are a lot better than mine, so it's better if you just stay in control the whole time."

She raised my eyebrow in skepticism, making a right turn into a much brighter hallway. It was a nice change of scenery. "Whatever you say, partner."

The bright hallway goes for a little while more before an elevator finally appears to the left. Stepping inside, Chara presses the correct button (there's only one), and the doors close as we wait inside. The ride is long and boring; slightly apprehensive.

"We're almost there." Chara suddenly says.

"Almost where?"

"To the end." She replies, almost smiling. "We've almost made it to the end of the Underground. You're almost home, partner."

It takes me a few moments to register the information, but once I do, I'm a smiling mess. " _Really?_ "

"Yes. It's not much farther now. Once we've passed the Judgement Hall, we'll be home free. There won't be anymore strong monsters in the way to stop us."

I feel a little awed. After this whole tiring journey, we'll finally make it to the end of it all. We're finally going to reach our destination, and put this place's miseries behind us. We're going to be free.

The elevator stops and we step out into a gray corridor. Everything is dull-colored, even the bricks. It's slightly depressing. It's almost like someone painted the whole hall grey. Or maybe the place is just really dusty; who knows? We proceed down, make a left, and meet another elevator door.

"It won't work." Chara sighs. "The only way is right." She didn't have to explain since she was in control, but I was glad she did it for me anyway.

There's a bunch of buildings below on our left. They look old and kinda ancient, mysterious like some old archaeology sight. Up ahead, there's another left, and more buildings pop up on both sides of the dull path. It goes for a long way. We keep moving until we meet a pile of gray leaves and a familiar sight.

"New Home." Chara whispers.

It's the first monster's house. Toriel's, or whatever her name was. But how could it be? We couldn't have back-tracked, right?

"No." Chara answers. "It's just a house that looks a lot like it. There's nothing to worry about." She enters the house without any hesitation, and we're back in the familiar hallway. It's starting to bring back dreaded memories.

"The right…" I mumble, my eyes darting to the right hall. "That's where the others were…"

"We have to go there eventually." Chara informs me.

"Why?"

"Keys." She explains, pointing her chin at the two locks in front of the staircase. "But if you want, we can head left first."

"That'd be nice."

So we go left first. I immediately notice that the only colorful things in the room are the yellow flowers. They're large and fill up all nearby flowerpots. They look new, like someone had put them there recently. But who? And why would someone do that? This house looks so old, I would doubt that anyone lives in it.

There's a shelf to the right, but Chara shakes her head. "Nothing useful."

Even the coals in the fireplace are warm. Someone's been here _very_ recently. The thought chills me, but I hope that whoever had come was gone now. We start to move towards another opening to the side in front, but we're stopped by a yellow figure popping out of the ground. It's a flower.

"Howdy, Chara!" Flowey grins, a happy look on his face. "You finally made it home."

I want to narrow my eyes at him, but Chara is in control. "What's _he_ doing here?" I demand.

"Remember when we used to play here?" The flower asks. "Hee hee hee… Boy!" His face morphs into a scarier one. "Today's gonna be just as fun."

And just like that, he's gone. Popped himself right back into the ground. We continue to stare at where he just was a moment ago, wondering what he was doing here of all places.

"This has something to do with that agreement you made with him." I guess. "Way earlier in the beginning… when we left, the uh, Ruins?"

"Not really." Chara grumbles, moving forwards to the opening ahead. She doesn't provide further information, so I'm stuck with waiting.

We're met with the sight of a kitchen. There's normal necessities of a kitchen laying around; a fridge, sink, counter, and oven. Pots and mittens hang from the wall. There's a bright key sitting on the counter. We go forward to take it.

But instead of directly leaving however, Chara heads to the fridge. Interested, I watch as she opens it up. Her face quickly scrunches up with disappointment.

"No chocolate." She mumbles, annoyed. I frown, but don't comment.

When we leave the kitchen, the flower shows up again, wrecking the floorboards. "I remember when I first woke up here, in the garden." He recounts, thoughtful. "I was so scared. I couldn't feel my arms or legs… my entire body had turned into a flower! I called out… but nobody came."

Chara nods, leaving me in confusion. Was the flower suggesting he had limbs before? Nothing he's saying makes sense, but Chara understands somehow. Seeming satisfied, Flowey pops back into the ground, and we proceed to the right hall.

We enter the familiar room where my first friends had inhabited. There are _two_ beds, though. Two large presents lay in the middle of the carpet, and Chara approaches them and bends down before forcefully ripping them apart.

The first one has a heart-shaped locket inside. When Chara picks it up, I can almost feel it beating against our palm. Rapid thoughts seem to be streaming through her head as she stares at it. There's an inscription on the it as well, but I don't have the chance to see it, since Chara is already tying it up around our neck. It now dangles loosely, the metal cold against our chest. _Right where it belongs._

The second present has a completely different kind of item. It's a knife, sharp and glinting in the light. But it's not gray; it's red, with purple edges and colorful swirls embedded into the metal. It looks poisonous. I can tell from first glance that it's real, not fake like the toy in the Ruins.

"Ah-ha! Here we are." Chara bends down to snatch the weapon up. The handle fits perfectly into our palm, like it belongs there. "About time." Just holding it makes us feel stronger. It'll be the perfect weapon for upcoming enemies.

"Do we keep the ballet shoes on?" I ask.

"There's no need to take them off." Chara concludes. "Just leave them. It's not like you have anything else to wear anyway."

Not willing to examine the room further, we leave, our new items with us. Way further down the hall, we find the second key. It's sitting upon a small desk. We take it, and Flowey shows up behind us again.

"Eventually, the king found me, crying in the garden. I explained what had happened to him. Then he held me, Chara. He held me with tears in his eyes. He was so… emotional. But, for some reason…" Flowey looked up at us with awe. "I didn't feel anything at all."

We quickly leave him and head back to the staircase. Chara unlocks the chain with the keys, and they fall to the floor with a clink. We then head down the staircase, going back to the attic that I remember so clearly. I could still recall my footsteps thumping on the tiles as I ran, my huffing breaths echoing against the walls like a monster as I followed the trail of blood.

Flowey interrupts my thoughts. "I soon realized I didn't feel _anything_ about _anyone_." He's appeared back in front of us, right through the stone. "My compassion had disappeared! And believe me, it's not like I wasn't trying." Now his expression was angry. "I wasted weeks with that stupid king, vainly hoping I would feel something. But it became too much for me. I ran away from home. And eventually, I reached the _Ruins_." He was smiling now, almost with delight. "Inside I found _her_ , Chara. I thought of all people, _she_ could make me feel whole again..." Flowey scrunched his face up sheepishly. "She failed. Ha ha…"

I blinked at the spot where he sat. Nothing he was saying was making much sense. He was a flower… he wasn't _supposed_ to feel anything, right? Then what was all this talk about trying to?

Chara nodded my head, and Flowey continued his story. "I realized those two were useless. I became despondent. I just wanted to love someone. I just wanted to care about someone. Chara, you might not believe this… But I decided…" Flowey sighed before looking down at the ground shamefully. "It wasn't worth living anymore. Not in a world without love. Not in a world without… you."

Chara didn't seem surprised though, just interested. She waved her hand for the flower to continue, not bothering to explain what was going on to me.

"So… I decided to follow in your footsteps. I would erase myself from existence. And you know what?" He smiled. "I succeeded."

I understood that much at least. "Then why's he still here?" I asked Chara. She nodded to Flowey, though I didn't know if it was a response or a sign to make the flower keep going.

"But as I left this mortal coil… I started to feel apprehensive." A curious look traced its way up his face. "If you don't have a _soul_ , what happens when you…?" He shook his petals quickly. "Something primal started to burn inside me. I thought, _No. I don't want to die!_..." A much needed pause. "Then I woke up. Like it was all just a bad dream. I was back at the garden. Back at my…" He grinned. " _Save point._ "

I narrowed my eyes, not getting it. So just like that, he came back to life? With a… video game term? He was definitely lying. No one could come back to life, much less go back to a… _save point._

Chara looked like she was falling for it though. "He's lying." I tell her. "You know that much, right?" She hesitates for a moment before nodding her head. It doesn't convince me fully though. Something's going on here. Something that I don't know.

"Interested, I decided to experiment. Again and again, I brought myself to the edge of death. At any point, I could have let this world continue on without me." He smiled eerily. "But as long as I was determined to live… I could go back." He looked awed at his so-called discoveries. "Amazing, isn't it, Chara? I was amazed, too.

"At first, I used my powers for good. I became 'friends' with everyone. I solved all their problems flawlessly. Their companionship was amusing… for a while. As time repeated, people proved themselves predictable. What would this person say if I gave them this? What would they do if I said this to them? Once you know the answer, that's it. That's all they are."

Chara finally makes a left turn, and I expect to see my friends' dead bodies lying on the ground. But thankfully, there was no such thing. I don't even know why I expected it in the first place. It's obvious that this is a different place, after all. In fact, there wasn't even a door; just another turn to the right.

"It all started because I was curious. Curious what would happen if I killed them. I told myself, _I don't like this. I'm just doing this because I_ have _to know what happens_." He grins, expression evil as he shows his teeth. "Ha ha ha… what an excuse! You of all people must know how liberating it is to act this way. At least we're better than those sickos that stand around and _watch_ it happen… Those pathetic people that want to see it, but are too weak to do it themselves." He smiles mischievously. "I bet someone like that's watching right now, aren't they…?

"Nowadays, even that's grown tiring." He furrows his brows hopefully. "You understand, Chara. I've done everything this world had to offer." He starts to list his accomplishments. "I've read every book. I've burned every book. I've won and lost every game. I've appeased everyone. And I've killed everyone. Sets of numbers… lines of dialogue… I've seen them all. But you… you all… _you're different_. I never could predict _you_ , Chara.

"When I saw you in the _Ruins_ , when you fell... I didn't recognize you." He smiles. "I thought I could frighten you, then steal your _soul_." He pauses a moment. "I failed, like all the other times. But this time was different. This time, the lady didn't even show up!" He grinned. "Let's just say, I was _very_ interested. But when I tried to load my save file… it didn't work. Chara…" He grins. "Your _determination_! Somehow, it's even greater than mine!

More old buildings are passing to the side. Chara doesn't even look like she's listening anymore, but I still am. I'm trying to figure out just who this flower thinks he is, feeding us this false information about save files and going back in time.

"I just have one question for you, Chara. How did you get back to the _Ruins_ from here...?" He stops, then smiles. "...wait, I know. She must've taken you when she left. And decided to give you a proper burial, rather than… hanging out in the basement forever… but, why then…? What made you wake up?" He makes a hopeful expression. "Did you hear me calling you…?

"It doesn't matter now. I'm so tired of this, Chara. I'm tired of all these people. I'm tired of all these places. I'm tired of being a flower. Chara." He smiles, hopefully. "There's just one thing left I want to do. Let's finish what we started. Let's free everyone. Then… let's let them see what humanity is _really_ like! That despite it all… this world is still _kill or be killed!"_

"Then?" Chara asks. It's the first time she's actually spoken with my mouth on the outside. Even Flowey looks slightly startled, but he quickly regains his composure.

"Then…?" He repeats thoughtfully. "Well. I had… been entertaining a few ways to use that power. Hee hee hee…" He laughs, but stops. "...but seeing you here changed my mind. Chara… I think if you're around… just living in the surface world doesn't seem so bad.

"Why am I telling you all of this? Chara, I said it before. Even after all this time… You're still the only one that understands me. You won't give me any worthless pity!" He grins maliciously, but Chara looks bored. "Creatures like us… wouldn't hesitate to _kill_ each other if we got in each other's way." I suddenly see an idea flashing in Chara's mind, and I know she's planning something. "So that's… So… that's… Why…"

Flowey's sentences are suddenly cut off as his words slowly come to a stop. He's suddenly shaking, wariness on his face. "...ha… Ha…" He laughs lightly. "What's this… feeling?" He smiles sheepishly as he stares up at us, still trembling. He's visibly sweating, despite the fact that he's a flower. "Why am I… shaking? Hey… Chara…" He looks at us, smiling hopefully. "No hard feelings about back then, right?"

Chara then smiles, pulling my mouth into a wide-stretched grin. She takes a step forward, and Flowey's face is struck with fear. "H-hey, what are you doing!?" His eyes are white with shock as he squeaks. "B… back off!"

He pops back into the ground, and only appears after we take a few more steps. This time, he's grown a few yards further away than usual, but we can still hear and see him. "I… I've changed my mind about all this." He scrambles to speak. "This isn't a good idea anymore. Y-you should go back, Chara. This place is fine the way it is!..." He hesitates, before narrowing his eyes in fear again. "S-s-stop making that creepy face!" He yelps.

I hadn't even realized, but Chara was still smiling. My grin now felt wide and unnatural, large and evil upon my face. It hurt slightly, but Flowey's current expression made it totally worth it. Chara was doing a great job at scaring him off. She raises the knife a bit, and Flowey catches sight of it as it glints in the light.

"This isn't funny!" Flowey screeches, still slick with sweat. "You've got a _sick_ sense of humor!" And with that last comment, he ducks into the ground. He doesn't come back up.

"Nice." I comment as we walk past the empty hole he made in the ground.

Chara only makes an indistinguishable noise that I assume is an agreement. Ahead is an elevator, but it's useless by now. The only way is ahead, to the right.

 _Determination._ Chara whispers.

The scene is so different here, I'm almost blinded. Instead of the usual dull bricks, I'm in a bright corridor of warm colors. The tiles are orange and brown. The walls are orange as well, and fat brown columns line the sides of the hall. Light streams in from the huge windows to the side. They have strange designs on them, but Chara doesn't care to explain. There's a box behind us, but it's the last thing I want to worry about.

"Wow." I blink in awe, trying to absorb as much of the scene as I can. "It's so pretty."

"It's the Last Corridor." Chara echoes. "Or more well known as… the Judgement Hall."

"Why?" I frown.

"You'll see soon enough." She grumbles.

We take our first steps forward, and our ballet shoes make clicking sounds against the tiles that echo around the room. The light from the windows cast eerie shadows from us and the columns, creating strange shapes on the ground. Everything here feels so mysterious and final, like it's the end of everything. After all, it _is_ the "Last Corridor."

I'm so busy admiring the shadows that I don't even see the figure ahead until it speaks. "Heya."

I'm startled, but Chara isn't. She comes to a full and complete stop exactly six tiles away from the imposter. How had he gotten there? I had been pretty sure he wasn't there a moment ago. The monster's short and familiar, wearing a blue jacket…

It's Sans. He's _back_. It was definitely good to see him again, but… why here, and why now? I can almost feel the danger radiating off of him, and Chara already has the knife readied in her hand. The red light of it makes us look equally dangerous.

Sans's pupils slowly travel to the knife in our hands. "You've been busy, huh?..." He pauses a moment before looking back up at us. A bead of wary sweat is making its way down his skull. He faces us with wariness. "So, i've got a question for ya." He closes the both of his eyes for a brief moment, like he's thinking. "Do you think even the worst person can change...? That everybody can be a good person, if they just try?"

I blink, unsure how to answer. What is he talking about? And why is he asking us this now? His solemness is making me wary, questioning my actions. So that's why this is Judgement Hall. I don't know how to react. However, Chara seems to know exactly what to do. She takes another step forward.

"Heh heh heh heh…" Sans chuckles lightly. It sounds hollow. "All right. Well, here's a better question." His pinpricks disappear, leaving only a black mass inside his empty eye sockets. "Do you wanna have a bad time? 'Cause if you take another step forward… you are _really_ not going to like what happens next."

"Is he fighting us?" I ask Chara, discomfort filling me. Should I be afraid or confident? Sans is the last person I want to fight; he's been the only non-threatening monster I've seen down here. Yet, it makes me wonder how much experience he'll give me. Since he's so weak, he might not give me much, which means destroying him won't even be worth it. It might be better if we just leave him.

Chara doesn't answer me though, and steps forward again, leaving only a five tile space between us and Sans. He takes a deep breath, preparing himself. "welp." He sighs. "Sorry, old lady. This is why i _never_ make promises."

Suddenly, our soul is drawn out. This means bad news. Chara looks ready to fight, but she hadn't even discussed tactics with me yet. She was basically _ignoring_ me, and I hated it. What was wrong with her? Why wasn't she talking to me? Where did our _teamwork_ go?

Sans is still talking, eyes closed and hands in pockets. "It's a beautiful day outside." He says seriously.

This is bad. "Chara, why is he fighting us?" Was it because we killed his brother? If that was the case, I think I could understand, but why hadn't he done this earlier? Something must've sparked him to take action now. "Why are you ignoring me?" We needed to form a plan now. It's what we usually did.

I can almost swear that there's chirping noises coming from somewhere. "Birds are singing," Sans hums. "Flowers are blooming…"

"Chara." I breathe. " _Stop ignoring me!_ "

"On days like these, kids like you…" He pauses before opening the both of his empty eye sockets. " _Should be burning in hell_."

Sans is scaring the heck outta me, but I have more important matters to take on hand. Shutting my eyes, I force Chara out of my body. She seeps out slowly, like molasses. When I regain my control, the body feels slightly foreign, but I knew I had succeeded in getting Chara's attention.

"What are you doing?" She hisses inside my mind.

"Getting you to stop ignoring me." I answer promptly. "Our teamwork isn't going to work if we can't even communicate properly-"

My words come to a stop when my soul turns blue. Before I'm even warned, Sans waves his hand and gravity pulls me down to the ground within a red border. I don't understand what's happening, and before I can react properly, bones jut out from the ground, rushing through the tiles. At least I had jumped on instinct, but one still hit me in the head, making me feel dizzy. My red soul comes back with a _ding._

"Give back control _now_!" Chara yells.

"What? Why-" More rows of bones appear from out of nowhere, moving towards me in rows. Is _Sans_ doing this? There's an opening through them all, but it's too small, and my aim is imprecise. I bump and push my way through the projectiles. They're surprisingly sharp, actually leaving cuts and bruises all over my arms and legs. My body feels sore.

Just when I think it's the end of it all, the strangest things appear. They look like dinosaur skulls, but their teeth bones are sharper and their eye sockets are crueler. Four of them surround me in a pattern. They open their mouths while a charging sound emanates from them, and I have a hint on what's about to happen. Trying to avoid them, I move to the side, only to run straight into their blue beams of death.

They're horrible. They feel like fire and acid and death all combined together to burn me into oblivion. I screech in horror at the feeling. It's like my skin's being slowly peeled off while my head roasts in a fireplace. I'm blinded by blue light, unable to see anything.

When it's finally gone, I feel like I'm dead. But there's more. Instead of moving aside this time, I use the last of me energy to try to stay in the middle. But once again, I go straight into the center of their fire. It's like they're targeting me like auto-aim machine guns. I feel the acid again, and this time, I want to scream. It's worse than the ghost's acid, worse than Undyne's spears or the guy's bullets. My soul is trembling, and cracks are appearing on its surface. I suddenly realize; it's going to break.

Chara is screaming inside me, but I can't conjure the proper mentality to respond or think. I can only float like a dead corpse in the middle of the air as the most biggest dinosaur skulls I've ever seen appear on both sides of me. They open their mouths, charging their beams…

In the midst of the blue light, I don't even move as my body crumbles to ashes.

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 **yeyyyy she dies! finally! :D**

 **There's three more _already_ prepared chapters, so I guess I'll be posting them up every two days if I remember to. :P **


	16. Chara's Always Right

**AW YOU GUYS! :D I got a lot of nice reviews on the previous chapter, so _thank yooooooooooooouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu_!~**

* * *

It's really dark. It feels like I'm floating, but I'm… not? I'm not really sure. Everything around me is black, and it makes it hard to tell. Where am I, and what am I doing here? I try to remember, but my thoughts feel hazy. I don't really want to remember, I realize. It's too much work.

Then in the midst of the darkness, I see bright things. They're rectangular, and words seem to inhabit the center of their shapes. There's two of them, floating before me. I look to the left one first, and it says _Continue_. I don't even look at the right button, but I know that this one is the right one. My hand moving forward seems to agree with me. I lightly tap the Continue rectangle, and the darkness starts to disappear.

Then suddenly… _Determination._ Chara whispers.

I blink rapidly, trying to see if it's a trick. The light contrast from the previous darkness was enormous, and I found myself squinting my eyes at the brightness of it all. I was back in the judgement hall. Or maybe… I hadn't ever left it in the first place? I frowned, confused. What was going on?

Chara seems to notice my jumbled thoughts, and she shrugs. "It's the Last Corridor." She echoes. "Or more well known as…"

"The Judgement Hall." I complete the sentence for her.

She narrows her eyes at me. "How did you know that?" We stare at each other, and Chara frowns. "...are you okay?"

I blink at her, trying to figure out how to explain the occurrence to her. "I think I may have just had some deep intuition."

Chara's eyes are even more narrowed now, like she's trying to piece together a puzzle. "Yeah?" She prompts.

"I know what's going to happen next." I explain. "I saw it with my own two eyes, but I don't know how. We're going to meet Sans, and he's going to fight us. I try to regain control from you, and he attacks us before I can make my first move. Then he…" I stop when I realize it's time to explain the part where I died.

For some reason, even though I know it's just foreshadowing, the pain feels so real. I can still imagine it, however much I don't want to. The bones, sharp and scratching. The beams, blue and burning, acidic to the touch and disintegrating me into nothing more than dust. Into what all monsters turn into at my hands.

Chara notices my silence. "You died." She guessed.

"Yeah." I gulp. "I-I'm really glad I got the foreshadowing warning though. Now I know what I have to do. But at least… could you just explain tactics with me? Before we approach Sans?" I sighed a little. "In that foreshadowing, I found out that the reason I took control back was because you were ignoring me."

Chara scowls a little. "Ignoring you? You sure I wasn't just trying to concentrate?"

I tilt my head. "Concentrate?"

"His attacks are hard, you know. Harder than Undyne's." Chara facepalms with our hand, looking annoyed. "I have to actually pay attention at all times. I can't just listen to you ramble while I try to predict his movements."

And just like that, I'm left feeling like a stupid idiot. Of course. Chara was just trying to mentally prepare herself for Sans, and I had disrupted her thinking and ruined her plans. She knew we would have to fight Sans. She hadn't told me, true, but she had been planning up for it. I could've trusted her. I grimace a little, realizing I had underestimated Chara. She was always right, I knew that. Yet, that foreshadowing showed the opposite of what I knew. I had foiled her plans, and allowed Sans to kill us.

"Sorry." I apologized. "I won't do anything rash this time, but it still doesn't excuse what I _could've_ done." I sigh. "It could've _killed_ us."

"Whatever." Chara dismisses. "Just as long as you do things right this time. We'll be fine as long as you follow your foreshadowing warning."

I nod, glad she had forgiven me so quickly. "But do we have to fight Sans?"

"What? You don't want to?" I shake my head. "Why?"

"He's not worth it."

Chara only grins in response. "Oh, no." She twirls the knife in our fingers. "He is _totally_ worth it."

I frown. "How?"

"Did you see how powerful he was in your foreshadowing?" I nod. "Wasn't what you expected, huh? See, he's the most powerful monster in the Underground. Which also means that defeating him will give us _tons_ of experience. You do want to get stronger, don't you?"

I think about it. "Just how hard is he?"

"Very hard." Chara grins.

I'm suddenly starting to have second doubts. "If he's really the strongest, then why would we need to become more powerful _after_ defeating him? I mean, we're already almost home, right?"

Chara's happy mood is immediately erased by my protests, and she scowls at the mere thought of sparing the skeleton a chance of mercy. "Why?" She growls. "Why're you so insistent on letting this one go?"

I blink, unsure. For some reason, I don't want to follow through with this idea as much as with the others. But I don't want to upset Chara, so instead I ask, "Is it possible to spare him though?"

"What?" Chara scowls. " _No_."

I nod. "Okay then." Cue a sigh. "Let's do it."

Chara rolls our eyes. "Took you long enough to agree."

Once again, we proceed down the hall. But this time, I pay less attention to my surroundings and focus on what's in front of me. I don't want to be surprised by Sans' appearance this time.

In a blue flash of light, he appears before us. Chara stops, waiting for him to speak. And admittedly, I'm waiting too. Will things go accordingly to the foreshadowing? Chara makes a scowl upon our face, like just seeing the comedian is enough to make her angry. The corner of our lip is twitching in annoyance.

"Heya." Sans grins at us mischievously. "You look frustrated about something."

It take me a few moments to register the words, but when I do, I'm completely bewildered. I was pretty sure the foreshadowing hadn't shown him saying those words…

His grin is eerie. "Guess i'm pretty good at my job, huh?"

Our soul is drawn out again, and I'm still confused. Things were going relatively the same, but the dialogue was different. Was my foreshadowing just inaccurate? Was that the reason?

"It's a beautiful day outside." He notes. "Birds are singing, flowers are blooming."

At least this part was the same. "If I remember correctly, he'll attack us after telling us to…" I cringe. "Burn in hell." Chara nods our head to my statement, showing she heard me. At least she wasn't ignoring me anymore.

"On days like these, kids like you…" His eye sockets are back to that pitch black. It's unsettling, and I prepare for his next words. " _Should be burning in hell._ "

Our soul dings blue and we drop to the ground. By now, I've figured out the blue soul's specialty; it makes gravity return. Chara jumps, and we hop into the air as bones erupt from the ground. The blue soul lets us jump like we're on the moon. Our soul dings back to red, and the array of bones come again. Chara ducks through the openings like it's child's play. Then the big blasters appear.

Chara doesn't move, and the blasters fire around us, completely missing. Then a new pattern shows up. Chara flies to the side, and they miss. Then she moves back to the center, and the new blasters miss as well. Once the two big ones have appeared, she's already in the clear. They blast their beams and go away. I can't help feeling relieved that they've gone.

"Huh." Sans prompts, shrugging sheepishly. "Always wondered why people never use their strongest attack first-"

Before he even finishes his sentence, Chara is already swinging. Sans ducks; the first time I've ever seen a monster try to avoid one of our attacks. I'm a little surprised, to say in the least. But Chara is furious. She attempts another strike, but Sans is sending more bones our way.

"What?" He winks. "You think i'm just gonna stand there and take it?"

The bones are coming in rows, on both sides of us. Each row consists of two bones, one shorter and one longer. We'll have to jump through the gaps between them to avoid them, since our soul is still blue. It'll take precise timing and aim, not to mention balance and a knack for repetition. But by the time I've analyzed all this, the attack is already over. Chara had done a great job all on her own. We looked mostly unharmed, and I found myself feeling awed at her skills once more.

She darts forward to strike, knife swinging. But Sans simply moves a bit to the right, completely dodging the attack. I've never seen Chara miss an attack. I've also never seen her so frustrated.

"Our reports showed a massive anomaly in the timespace continuum. Timelines jumping left and right, stopping and starting…" Chara tries to swing our leg at him, but she accidentally hits a bone attack sent from Sans.

Immediately, the pain is tracing its way up our leg, but more are coming. They now come in patterns of blue and white. The blue ones are longer, while the white ones are short and easy to jump over. Each bone is evenly spaced apart. Remembering the blind dog in the snow area, I try to understand the pattern. However, Chara doesn't even seem to need to think, just passing through the attacks like she's mind-reading them.

She tries again. Sans makes a sideways swerve this time, his hands still in pockets. It's almost as if he's performing weird dance. "Until suddenly, everything ends."

The second attack comes again, but the lengths of the bones are different this time. The openings appear in different places, and we have to jump accordingly to match them. Sometimes, the one on the left will come faster than the one on the right, and it messes up my coordination. But not Chara's. She stays in focus the whole time, jumping in place like a bunny rabbit. I would laugh, if it were not for the fact that this was a serious battle. I also didn't want to disrupt her concentration.

This time, Chara backs Sans into a corner before striking. But he avoids it by what seems to be teleportation. One moment he's in front of us, and a moment later, he's behind us, flinging bones. Chara hisses in annoyance, lunging at him, but he's already on the other side of the room.

"Heh heh heh…" His eyes turn dark. "That's your fault, isn't it?"

Nothing he's saying is making sense, so I start to ignore him. How can he expect us to listen to him as we avoid his attacks, anyway? This time, undodgeable bones appear. Only a few platforms are put out here and there; safe zones for us to hop onto. Who knows who put them there? The point is to just get across the river of bones swimming below us. After all, Sans is on the other side. We jump on easily, and meet a few close-calls with interfering bones, but we make it unscathed.

We're close to Sans now. Another attempt to hit him is made, but he just teleports back to the other side of the room again. "You can't understand how this feels."

I feel something crawling up on my back. Probably apprehension, but I can't be sure since we're already on the move.

It's basically the same move again, but the platforms are more diversely placed. Extra bones also float above the platforms, like Sans is messing with us, but Chara ducks under them like a veteran army crawler. Long bones are slowly approaching from behind and ahead, but Chara makes it to the small moving platform before dropping to the ground, successfully making it past. She strikes and misses.

"Knowing that one day, without any warning…" He sighs. "It's all going to be reset."

Chara growls with frustration. "Come _on_! He's like, the _easiest_ enemy!"

I'm momentarily distracted by Chara's words. "Easiest?" I question, obviously not comprehending. He was a lot harder than I had expected him to be, though Chara did seem to be dwarfing the attacks' appearance quite a bit. "I thought you said he was the most powerful?"

"Wrong wording." She corrected, growling. "He's the weakest, but the hardest."

I narrow my eyes. "Weakest?"

"1 Health Point." Chara answers. "One defense. One attack."

"But his first attack…"

"Karmic Retribution." She puts it bluntly. "Now quiet."

The random phrase doesn't really explain much, but I oblige to her orders. Sans is sending more bones and platforms at us. This time though, they go in all horizontal directions, and seemingly at random as well. Chara makes us move between the objects like a ballerina, quick and swift. The movements remind me of someone, but before I can recount it, the attack is over and Chara is thrusting the knife forwards.

Sans avoids it, practically flipping over us in the process. "Look." He commands promptly, landing gracefully. "I gave up trying to go back a long time ago."

There's only one platform this time. We board it without thinking, and suddenly, bones cover the whole floor. Individual bones fly before us, posing a threat as to strike us. Chara jumps and darts between them, landing on our safe zone after every maneuver. When the attack is over, the bones disappear with the platform. I wonder if it's even worth it to keep attacking Sans anymore, but Chara leaps forwards without hesitation. He ducks to the side, still grinning. If I didn't know any better, I'd think he was having fun.

"And getting to the surface doesn't really appeal anymore, either."

The platforms return, and I go on the lookout for bones. There aren't any, but something worse is taking their place. They're the skeletal floating heads that killed me in the foreshadowing.

Chara seems to be in control of the situation though. She jumps on the correct platforms when needed to, and bounds off when things look risky. She's good at what she does. It makes me wonder how she got so good in the first place. How does she know everything? I had always just taken it for granted. I hadn't really ever wondered about Chara all that much. There hadn't ever been a need to. After all, she was helping me get home. What did I need to question that for?

The round of blasters end, and Chara attempts to jump onto Sans from one of the platforms above. Another strike, and another miss.

"Cause even if we do… we'll just end right back here, without any memory of it, right?" Still makes no sense.

The same attack from two moves before is back. It's repetitive, making things easier for us. I don't even know why Sans bothers to use the same tactics on us even after seeing us dodge it completely the first time. Chara doesn't waste a moment in trying to attack him, but he avoids her all the same.

"To be blunt… it makes it kinda hard to give it my all."

He's not even giving it his all? I gape, baffled. Then just how hard would his attacks be if he was actually trying? We're going through the second attack again. We jump repetitively, keeping our stance. Chara swings with full force, despite the chances. She still misses.

"...or is that just a poor excuse for being lazy…?" He shrugs sheepishly. "Hell if I know."

Now there are long bones coming from the right, and short ones coming from the left. Finally some change. Soon, the tall ones are passing above us as we skirt between the short ones. As we reach the edge of the hall, we just hop between the bones to avoid getting trampled against the wall. It's tricky trying to keep between them all the time, but nothing Chara can't handle. She swings again, but he just grins as he avoids it, hopping past us.

"All i know is… seeing what comes next… i can't afford not to care anymore."

It's the fourth attack. We're back to the repetition again. We leap accordingly, not missing a single opening. I don't even know why Chara tries so hard if she knows we'll never hit him, but she keeps at it. He just teleports behind us. We turn around to meet him.

"Ugh… that being said…" There's a trail of sweat forming on his skull. His pinpricks dart nervously around, and it lands on our knife. "you, uh, really like swinging that thing around, huh?" He shuts his eyes briefly, sighing. "Listen."

"Or we don't have to." Chara suggests out loud, already starting to shut off our hearing systems.

But I stop her. "No. I want to listen."

She frowns, an incredulous expression on her face. "What? _Why?_ "

"It seems… important." I blink at Chara's frustration, but she can't defy me. I've already made up my mind.

He takes a deep breath, preparing his words. "I know you didn't answer me before, but… somewhere in there. I can feel it. There's a glimmer of a good person inside of you. The memory of someone who once wanted to do the right thing. Someone who, in another timeline, might have even been…" He hesitates. "A friend?"

I blink, not completely understanding. Chara's silent.

"C'mon buddy. Do you remember me? Please, if you're listening… let's forget all of this, okay? Just lay down your weapon, and…" He shrugs helplessly. "well, my job will be a lot easier."

He doesn't make a move. He's not attacking us. I frown, confused, not understanding. What is he doing?

"He's letting us make the first move." Chara attempts to explain.

"No." I ponder, narrowing my eyes. "He's _sparing_ us." The realization strikes me, and I turn to Chara, betrayed. "You lied to me!"

"No, I didn't. And no, he's not." Chara rolls her eyes at my guess, like she can't believe how stupid I am. "Monsters _never_ spare you. It's always either a lie or a trick. You can't go falling for that stuff, or else you'll die."

"But… he seems serious."

"He's been serious the whole battle."

"No, Chara!" I sigh, annoyed. "You know what I mean. I think he _actually_ wants to spare us. He's letting us go."

"Why would you think _that_? He's just a monster. All monsters are merciless."

"Not him." I guess. "He's different. I mean, he's the first monster to ever present the option. And he looks unbeatable. Just trying to get the experience won't even be worth it, no matter how much there is. We should just spare him, and go on our way." Chara looks ready to protest, but I'm already on a roll. "We're almost home anyway, right? There's no use having our time wasted here. It's the most sensible option."

"It _would_ be." Chara hissed. "If the enemy _wasn't_ a _monster._ Which he is!"

I hesitate, but shake my head internally. Sans is staring at us, silently judging. He doesn't see the conversation I'm having with Chara in my head. He's like a third wheel, left out from all the action.

I gain control back for my mouth, and Chara seems slack with shock. "What are you doing?"

"I'm going to spare him." Is my answer. It surprises even me, but I keep on with it.

"Don't." She warns.

"I'm just trying to get home." I respond.

She narrows her eyes at me. "You're _betraying_ me?"

I hadn't thought of that. I tilt my head, thinking. "No. We're just going to get past him without fighting. It'll make things faster."

"No." Chara repeats. "He won't spare you. I'm sure of it."

"But he might."

"That's not good enough." Chara growls. "If you die, you die. There's no going back for that."

I sigh, conflicted. I'm taking a huge risk here. Maybe if I manage to convince Chara, it'll convince myself too? "You can't hurt him, and you know it." I attempt.

Chara seems insulted. "I _can_ hurt him!" She barks back. "Just not yet."

"And when will that be?"

"Soon." She promises. "See the sweat on his skull? He's tired. It won't be long until he makes one misstep. And then, I'll strike!" She sounds desperate.

I sigh. "I mean, there's not even a scratch on him. He's undefeatable, Chara. I'm surprised too, but maybe you should just accept it. You can't know and beat everything in the world."

Her eyes are wide, disbelieving. "You're losing your trust in my skills?"

I gulp, but I have to convince her. "...yes?" I squeak.

She blinks, then growls. "You're on your own, Frisk." And just like that, she's gone.

Complete control comes back. Feeling returns to my limbs, and my knees feel wobbly. Chara's gone. She's gone forever. I had betrayed her, but it would be worth it. I was doing the right thing. My hand is shaky, still holding onto the knife. Sans eyes it, waiting. Remembering what he said, I drop it. It clatters to the ground, leaving echoes bouncing around the hall.

Sans looks surprised. "...you're sparing me?" He sighs, relieved. "Finally. Buddy. Pal. i know how hard it must be… to make that choice. To go back on everything you've worked up to. I want you to know… i won't let it go to waste." He opens his arms, winking invitingly. "C'mere, pal."

I blink, unsure about what to do. Without Chara to guide me, I was basically useless. Was he offering a hug? He's not far away; and it'll only take a couple of steps to reach him. I bring an arm forward, reaching for him. I take a single step forward, and then his eyes flashes.

Before I can react, pain is searing into me. There's something sticking through my torso. It's a bone; struck me from behind. I hadn't noticed. The pain is so strong, I can't feel it. My hands feel wet. I drop to the ground, blood already soaking my sweatshirt and the golden tiles beneath me. Everything's red.

But there's something blue, too. The skeleton stands before me, still grinning his eerie smile. He's a lot closer now, leaning down to get a better look at me. "Geeettttttt dunked on!" He whispers eerily. "If we're really friends… you won't come back-"

I've grabbed onto the blue. It takes me a moment to realize that it's his jacket, but he's already jerked back, his left eye flashing a vibrant cyan. He looks bothered about something, almost angry. My hopes deflate, although I wasn't sure what I was expecting anyway. There's a splotch of red on his jacket now.

I close my eyes, and he watches me bleed away on the tiles. Not moving, not helping.

Chara was right. She was always right.

I should've just listened to her.

* * *

 **Wow Frisk this is what you get for sparing these totally untrustable monsters and betraying your one and only friend that's ever helped you in this entire mess. :P**

 **Also, if any of you are confused as to what Frisk believes she's experiencing when she "foreshadows," you should just watch the Tell Me How I Die movie. Even if it isn't for the purpose of understanding, I highly recommend it! :D (Even Ryan Higa plays a part in it, if you know who he is...)**


	17. Don't Say I Didn't Warn Ya

**UGHHHH So much for updating every two days. -_-**

 **Here, have a chapter. _*toss*_**

* * *

I startle out my thoughts as it ends. I remember something dark and a bright rectangle, but that's all. My thoughts feel jumbled, and I blink in confusion as I try to regain my senses. _Determination._ And where am I again?

"Judgement Hall." Chara answers inside my head. "And that was _quite_ the foreshadowing, may I add."

I turn on her, suddenly feeling uneasy. "You saw that?" I'm remembering it all now. I can still see his dark eye sockets, boring holes into me as he watched me die. It sends shivers down my spine just thinking about it.

"Yes."

I narrow my eyes. "You saw the foreshadowing."

"Yes." She repeats.

"But in the foreshadowing, you pretended you didn't know about it."

"Which irked me." She responded. "So that's why I'm telling you now."

I'm not sure how to respond, so I take a shaky breath. "So that first one… it was a foreshadowing in a foreshadowing?"

"I guess so."

I blink in awe. "Just how many foreshadowings can I get?"

"Let's not test that." She suggests.

"B-but…" I'm suddenly feeling very overwhelmed. "I can just do that? I can just… keep getting these sights into the future until I defeat the enemy?"

She shrugs. "I suppose."

I frown. "You're so untalkative." I point out. "Why?"

She crosses our arms, annoyed. "What? So you don't remember a _certain someone_ betraying me right at the last moment?" She leans in closer. "Even though I had been so obviously and plainly right, all the way up to the end?"

I suddenly remember, and guilt swarms me. I had made the same mistake twice, causing my death. The mistake of not listening to Chara. How many times have I told myself already? Chara was always right. Why couldn't I just hammer that into my stupid head?

"...sorry."

"Sorry doesn't keep you from dying."

I frown when I don't hear anger in her voice. "You're not mad?" I ask, confused.

"Oh, I'm mad." She clarifies promptly. "But since it didn't actually happen yet, I would suppose I have nothing to complain about."

I'm not sure whether to feel relieved or underlooked, but I decide it's for the best. "O-ok."

"Let's just go already." Chara grumbles.

We start to head back down the hall again. The silence between us is threatening. "Um, so since all my deaths are foreshadowings… does that mean this one could be one too?"

"One what?"

"A foreshadowing." I gulp. "For all I know, this is just another peek into the future. Maybe a current me is seeing myself do this right now, gaining information for her run."

Chara thinks on it. "Maybe." She shrugs. "But it better not be. The only reason you'll need a foreshadowing is if you die. And I don't intend on letting you die."

I shiver at the thought of death. Both times had been horrible, even if it was just a fake peek into the future. "Right."

"Hmm. that expression…" We come to a stop when we hear the voice. The annoying, irritating voice belonging to the skeleton that already killed us twice. "that's the expression of someone who's died twice in a row." Our lip twitches with annoyance. Why was this always the different part? I still hadn't sorted that out yet. "Suffice to say, you look really… unsatisfied. All right." Black eyes. "How 'bout we make it a third?"

"No thanks." Chara responds. Our soul is drawn out again, and we go into the air. This almost feels like routine now.

"It's a beautiful day outside." He mumbles. "Birds are singing, flowers are blooming. On days like this, kids like you…"

I remember to remind Chara. "Get ready-"

But before he even tells us to burn in hell, our soul pings to a blue. Even Chara is slightly taken off guard, and the bones manage to scratch our leg. Sans had tricked us! By then, Chara's already regained her composure. She aces the rest of the attack easily. The blasters miss us by a mile.

"Anyway, as i was saying, it's a nice day out." He winks playfully. "Why not relax and take a load off?"

Pissed at his goody-two-shoes-ness, Chara grinds our teeth and leaps forward to strike him. As precedent, he moves to the side and says some more gibberish that I don't plan to listen to.

I'm still stuck in my own thoughts though, wondering why the attacks and dialogue were different from the foreshadowing. Could it have just been inaccurate? No, everything was still going the same. The attacks were the same, his words were almost the same, everything was the same. Only Sans was different somehow. But how?

Unless… it was really just him acting upon what he _saw_. In the first foreshadowing, we had acted surprised and Sans defeated us. In the second one, we had been wary, and Sans knew it was the second time. And now… we were angry. And he knew it was the third.

Was it possible that Sans could read minds? Or even worse; that he could see my foreshadowings, and would therefore change his attacks to confuse us more?

No, that couldn't be it. If it were the case, he would've changed up his attacks some, but they're the same repetitive thing. Nothing new. I pause to watch him teleport away just as we slice empty air, and he winks at us before jabbering more useless things from his mouth.

How did he keeping doing that teleporting thing? Was it just a monster thing, or did only he have it? I guessed it was the second option, since if it were the first case, all the monsters would've just done the same as him. I sigh inwardly, not understanding. Sans was different. He knew more than all the others, but not much. He was a little peculiar and strange compared to all the others monsters I've met, right up from the beginning. But what made him stand out? What caused him to be the way he was?

But now, I think I've figured it out. He knew we had foreshadowing powers, and could tell which number we were on just by looking at our facial expressions. That was all.

I only watch as Chara moves our muscles, leaping and jumping and twirling through the attacks. Once again, the movements remind me of someone, but I don't remember who. She strikes forward, a crazed grin on our face, but Sans side-steps it before launching more bones.

And two more attacks later, they stop. Was it time already? It had went so much faster this time, but it also may have just been my thoughts distracting me, making me lose track of time. Sans looks tired, and a little disbelieving. We stop too, just to humor him. Attacking right now would just force him to dodge, anyway.

He speaks slowly, trying to sound sincere. "You, uh, really like swinging that thing around, huh? Listen." He closes his eyes, and I wait pensively. Will he really try the tactic again? I remind myself not to interfere this time. "Friendship… it's really great, right? Let's quit fighting." And just like that, he ends his great memorable speech.

We frown disbelievingly, almost with amusement. Sans wasn't even trying anymore. He already knew it was useless. We take a moment to sit ourselves down and snack on a bag of chips, just to humor him. A food break was just what we needed. After all, based on what I gathered from the foreshadowing, he wouldn't continue the fight unless we fought or spared him.

Finished, we toss the bag aside and wipe the crumbs off our pants. He's still watching, just standing there looking serious. Rolling our eyes, Chara steps forward to continue the battle.

Sans grins. "Woah, you look _really_ pissed off…" Huh? No I didn't. It takes me a moment to figure out why Sans said what he did, but then I feel my eyebrows. They're scrunched together in concentration, and my mouth is curled into a grimace. Is this Chara's doing? Is _she_ angry?

"Heheheh…" He chuckles. "did i getcha? Well, if you came back anyway…" His eye sockets darken. If he had looked serious before, he looked _deadly_ serious now. "I guess that means we never really were friends, huh? Heh." Somehow, that single statement is enough to strike me cold. A pause before he winks playfully. "don't tell that to the other sans-es, okay?"

Then without warning, bones come from the sides. It takes me longer to react, but Chara is already jumping through the openings. Before we can even land, a flicker throughout the room causes the previous bones to disappear and new ones to pop in. We finally land, but long rows are coming from the right. We hop again, and now, bones are coming from both sides; layered with white ones and blue ones. The room keeps flashing and switching attacks. I don't understand what's happening, but Chara stays coordinated through the whole thing.

When what seems like five attacks finally pass over, I'm left in a sputtering mess. It may have just been a bit much for me to handle. However, Chara grins at her success and moves forward to strike. But she doesn't notice the bone flying towards us as we charge, and barely moves aside as it passes by us. The two of us can barely believe that Sans is attacking us as _we_ attack. We miss Sans by an inch, which is more than usual, seeming to piss Chara off. She tightens her knuckles around the knife, our grip turning our fingers white.

"Sounds strange, but before this i was secretly hoping we could be friends." Friends? I find myself cocking my head at the unexpected comment. "I always thought the anomaly was doing this 'cause they were unhappy. And when they got what they wanted, they would stop all this."

Stop all what? The genocide? But my thoughts go away when the blasters show up again. It's a new attack. This time, they're thinner and freely roam around while they aim where they like. They move like they're alive; like they have a mind of their own. There are no platforms, but our soul is red, allowing us the same amount of freedom. Chara twists herself in the air as she moves between charged beams of death.

"About _time_ the real battle finally begins." Chara grumbles, swinging the knife. Sans ducks, grinning.

He continues his speech from his previous statement, now winking. "And maybe all they needed was… i dunno. Some good food, some bad laughs." He shrugs. "Some nice friends."

A flash and then suddenly the unexpected attack is back. I'm thrown off-guard again, but Chara maintains her balance, soaring through all the bones and beams like they can't touch us. I'm left wondering why I'm always caught with surprise, and the thought strikes me that maybe Sans is distracting us with his words. Chara never seems to listen, and does fine on her own. Maybe I just had to do that too.

"But that's ridiculous, right?" I try to block out the words this time, but they just echo around the room and back to me in all different directions. "Yeah, you're the type of person that won't _ever_ be happy."

Then suddenly, he's throwing us against the walls. Bones erupt on the walls where we stand, but we've already jumped, credits to Chara. I don't know how he's doing it, but with simple flick of his hands, he can control the gravity around us into any direction he wants. Our soul pings every time he changes the direction, and Chara adapts accordingly. Every time the gravity changes, I'm worried we won't be fast enough, but we always seem to make it out in time. I'm still left in spell-bound amazement, but I try to wipe the thought out my head.

Black eye sockets. "You'll keep consuming timelines over and over, until…" I'm momentarily confused. He sighs, shrugging at our silence. "Well. hey. Take it from me, kid." He winks. "Someday… you gotta learn when to _quit._ " Right. He was just trying to distract me.

Crap, it's faster this time. His hand moves faster, changing our direction more quickly but giving us less time to jump before the bones erupt to murder us. Thankfully, Chara is just as speedy, if not quicker. Thank goodness for her.

It's our move now, but Sans is still flinging bones at us. Well, his arm isn't moving, but I know it's him. Feeling annoyed that his tactics are so different from what we're used to, Chara goes forward to attack and misses.

"And that day's _today._ " He winks. Tough talk for a skeleton that can't even land a single hit on us. Though… we weren't really one to talk.

The free-roaming blasters are back, but they're bigger and fatter _and_ slower this time. Not to mention that their beams are bigger as well, and harder to avoid. But Chara knows what she's doing. She keeps on swinging.

"'Cause… y'see…" He looks to the side, a little silly, like he's cracking a funny joke. "all this fighting is really tiring me out." Another line of sweat trails down his skull, as if to prove it. He's obviously losing stamina. But we can keep it up. Every second we last, the weaker Sans gets. And soon, he'll be too tired to even move aside. It won't be too long now, before he makes just one slip-up. It'll be enough to end him.

Long parallel bones appear from our left ahead of us, and to our right behind us. Their lengths are long enough to align along the whole room if stacked next to each other, which would make them avoidable if it were not for the fact that they were moving. At first I'm confused, but then I notice the pattern. Every time they pass one another, they leave a gap for us to slip through. What seems to be a circular movement is what keeps us from getting hit. Chara's doing great, like she promised. Another swing.

"And if you keep pushing me…" he opens an eye, teasing. "Then i'll be forced to use my _special attack._ " What special attack? How could any attack be _more_ special than what they were already…?

Random attacks again. Sometimes there's platforms and bones coming on either side. Sometimes they approach me on both sides at lightning speed. Other times we have to jump in between the moving bones. And don't forget those blasters and random wavy opening paths through waves of the bony stuff.

Even Chara is huffing now, slightly tired. I feel fine, which might mean she's blocking the signals or something, but her physical state is worrying me. I've never seen Chara so weak in a battle before. Maybe taking on an entire fight was too much for her. Maybe I should take her spot for a few moments to let her catch her breath-

" _No._ " The response is immediate, coming from Chara. "I can handle this. Don't get yourself pulled into this again."

"But you're tired!" I protest meekly.

A pause before Chara grins. "I can handle it." She repeats before dashing forwards to strike.

Of course, a miss. "Yeah, my _special attack._ " He winks, teasing. "Sound familiar?" He looks to the side, an expression with which I can only describe as _giddy_ comes over him. "Well, get ready. Cause after the next move, i'm going to _use it._ " I shiver at his tone. "So, if you don't wanna see it, now would be a good time to die."

He goes with some simple gravitational changes. We get slammed against the wall at a much faster pace than I would've liked, though Chara is handling it despite the fact that I think she's wearing down. She cuts forward, slicing the air in front of us. Sans is to the side, completely avoiding the attack.

"Well, here goes nothing…" He gives us a dark look of warning. We prepare ourselves, legs bent and arms in position. Being ready is a must. "Are you ready? Survive _this_ , and i'll show you my _special attack!_ "

He starts off with the wall slamming again, and I'm completely overwhelmed. The bones erupt so quickly that I'm surprised Chara can even manage to leap up in time. Following right after is the long parallel bone attacks that stretch across the whole room. And then with one more gravity slam to one side of the hall, we're sent straight down into a _massive_ mess of bones. I gasp at the sight. There are so many that I can hardly differentiate the surfaces in the room from the white in the projectiles.

Thankfully, Chara seems to be able to. We glide through the bones instead of flying, since Sans is still sending us over with gravitational pull. Every moment and then, we catch a glimpse of Sans winking or shrugging on the sidelines. When I see him twice after I was sure we had passed him once already, I know he's teleporting. After a little while, the waves of bones disappear, and become replaced with longer spurts of bones of bones appearing here and there in bunches. The gravity moves so quickly that avoiding them actually becomes a challenge. The hall seems to stretch on for forever. Then there's some last bones that require precision, and we steady ourselves before popping straight through them and finally landing on the wall. Chara jumps, and we avoid getting pierced by more bones.

The world flashes, and we jump from the ground. Then _again_ , and we jump from the wall. Then _again_ , and this time the ceiling. But now, we have to go sideways, with bones erupting from the wall and the ground at the same time. This happens a few more times, and then a ring of the skull blasters surround us. It feels like we're going to have a bad time.

But it's just a feeling, anyway. The blasters shoot around us, every two collinear beams firing together to create a straight death ray that circles us. Chara moves around close to the center, trying to keep ahead of the beams. They move fast, but we try to move faster.

It's not working. Chara's tired, and the attack only seems to move faster as we progress. How much longer will this go? The more we sprint, the more the beams behind us catch up to us. We could go closer to the center, but we're scared of being fried by the cross-fire. It's so close now, I can almost feel our heel being singed…

And then, they stop. Relief is about to fill me, but then we're slammed against the wall _extremely_ hard. We're suddenly jolted out of our concentration, and Sans flings us back onto the ground. We land face first, and even though I can't feel the pain, I feel the pressure. There are no bones, which is great because we're not exactly landing the most gracefully. Then he moves his arm around so quick that I can barely see it, and we're being slammed onto the walls, ceiling, floor tiles, and everything around us and our muscles are stretching, and our bruises are paining, and our breaths are shallow and everything is going in all a whirl of dizziness and constant bangings to the head and torso and then finally… finally… Sans slowly sets us to the ground where we fall onto our knees.

We're actually hurt. There's bruises on our arms and chest where we were pitched into the wall, and scratches on our legs and arms where we were scratched by the tiles. It was an undodgeable attack. Just flinging us around was enough to make us lose our bearings.

We're trembling. "Chara…?" I ask tensely. We're breathing heavily, but there's a smile plastered on our face. Why, though?...

Sans is breathing just as heavily as us, if not harder. He must have consumed all his energy or something, spending all his moves into this second-to-last special attack. Hie entire chest heaves as he stares at us tiredly. At least we weren't sweating. But Sans looked wet as if he had just taken a shower.

"Huff… puff…" Sans heaves out breaths in quick huffs and puffs, looking drained. "All right. That's it." He shrugs his arms. "It's time for my special attack."

I'm worried, but Chara faces him dubiously. He doesn't look like he has enough energy to summon a single bone, much less perform a great and amazing special attack.

He winks. "Are you ready? Here goes nothing." He puts his hands back into his pockets, and for a moment, I start to panick. I try to get Chara to stand back up, but she's just smiling. Grinning like a triumphant athlete that just won a gold medal. What's up with her? We hadn't won yet. Sans was still yet to be defeated. As long as he was standing, our fight wouldn't be over.

My worry slowly fades away to skepticism as I realize Sans isn't doing anything. We wait and watch, trying to figure out what Sans is doing. After a moment, he finally opens his eyes to look at us. "Yep." he grins mischievously. "That's right. It's literally nothing." I narrow my eyes at him, not understanding.

"What?" I whisper in disbelief.

"And it's not going to _be_ anything, either." He chuckles half-heartedly. "Heh heh heh… ya get it? I know i can't beat you. One of your turns… you're just gonna kill me. So, uh. I've decided… it's not gonna _be_ your turn. Ever."

I blink at him in disbelief. Was this even a thing? How was this even possible? We could just walk right around him, probably. Heck, we could just step right up now and attack him-

But Chara shakes her head. "Wait." She says.

"i'm just gonna keep having _my_ turn until you give up." Sans concludes, eyes black. "Even if it means we have to stand here until the end of time." Back to the teasing grin as he asks for our understanding. "Capiche?"

We're still just kneeling there, giving him _the look_. He grins right back at us. I'm not sure what to do. He looks too tired to move a millimeter, but I don't want to defy Chara again. It may ruin everything, and we're too close to make mistakes. So instead, the two of us agree to sit down in a more comfortable position. We sit criss-cross-applesauce.

"You'll get bored here." Sans finally says after a while. "If you haven't gotten bored already, i mean. And then," His grin grows sinister. "you'll finally quit."

We blink at him. Feeling a little disturbed, I regain control of my arm and slowly move it to my pocket where I can grab a bag of chips. But Chara sends me a warning glare, and before I can stop and ask why, my hand retracts back into my pocket. Sans' eye flashes cyan for a brief moment.

Now I'm even more bewildered. Was that Chara forcing me back, or Sans' doing? Not that I was sure how he would do it, but I was curious. Feeling experimentive, I try again, but this time Chara tells me more harshly to stop, so I reluctantly do. I don't want to get on her bad side. And anyway, she seems excited for something.

"I know your type." Sans insists after a little while more. I listen, but only because I'm bored. "You're, uh, very determined, aren't you? You'll never give up, even when there's, uh… absolutely _no_ benefit of persevering whatsoever. If i can make that clear."

I tilt my head in confusion, still not getting it. If there was no point, why was he still talking? And why did Chara insist not to do anything, and just wait it out? What could she possibly be waiting for?...

"No matter what, you'll just keep going." Sans sighs. "Not out of any desire for good or evil… but just because you think you can. And because you 'can'...you 'have to.'"

I'm not sure what to think against that. I'm not really trying to do _good_ , though I admit I had went along with it on the way. But my true goal was getting home. That was all that mattered right now. To go home and recover my past. So if he meant that getting home was something I could do, and it was what fueled me to _have_ to do it… then yeah. That made sense.

We wait longer. I try to tap my fingers on the tile, but another cyan flash makes me shove my hand back into my pocket. I narrow my eyes at Sans, trying to figure out if it really _is_ him doing it.

"But now, you've reached the end. There is nothing left for you now. So, uh, in my personal opinion… the most 'determined' thing you can do here? Is to, uh, completely give up. And…" He pauses a moment to make a small yawn. I narrow my eyes. "Do literally anything else."

...nice pep talk. But I heard that yawn there. He was tired, that much was true, but was he really tired enough to fall asleep? Was that what Chara was betting on? Seeing that her excitement was growing larger, I could tell that it was. Why was she depending on Sans to fall asleep, and in the middle of a fight right where he was vulnerable before us? That was the stupidest thing I'd ever-

I pause when I notice his eyes dropping. He starts to slow down, his eyelids slowly closing little by little. I can't believe it. Soon, it looks like he's squinting, but I can tell he's still awake. We wait a little longer. His breath slows, and I watch his eyelids. A little longer. And a moment later, they're completely shut. Then not even a second after that, quiet snores come from him, and I can even hear it even though I'm so far away. My jaw drops in disbelief. He had fallen asleep on his feet, right in front of us where we could strike him.

"This is good." Chara says in my head. "Now we can kill him."

"Can't we just step around him?" I suggest.

" _No_." Chara insists, a little more harshly than I'm used to. "We can't. It's like the sparing trap. Walking around him will trigger him to instantly kill us, but killing him will end the problem once and for all."

I tilt my head. "I don't get it."

"You don't have to." Chara grins inside my head. "We just need to finish the job, and we're home-free."

I blink doubtfully, but agree. "Ok."

We watch his sleeping form a little longer. He looks so peaceful. It reminds me of something, but Chara interrupts my thoughts. "Do you want to kill him?"

I'm still stuck in my thoughts, so I don't completely hear it the first time. "Huh?"

"Do _you_ want to kill him?" Chara repeats the question, seeming thoughtful. "I think I've been standing in the spotlight for long enough. It's about time you got some of the good and glory. You can finish him off for me."

"H-huh?" I immediately find myself protesting, though I don't know why. "Oh no, there's no need for that. _You_ can do it, Chara. You've worked hard for this, and letting me steal all the credit at the end…"

"Nah." She reassures me. "This isn't stealing the credit. It's just letting you be a part of the team. We _are_ partners, aren't we? Just letting me do everything isn't gonna cut it out for teamwork. Both of us have to finish this together, okay?"

I still hesitate. "What if I mess it up?"

Chara grins for us. "I'll make sure you won't."

After a moment, I nod my head and take back control of the body. I feel some of the pain course through me, but I know it's not the full feel, since Chara is still blocking most of the signals. Shakily, I stand myself up. The knife was still in our hand, even throughout the whole "slamming into walls" episode. I eye its glowy redness, feeling it pulse in my fingers. This was it.

Slowly, I make my way over to Sans. I make each step as quiet as possible, but it still leaves tiny echoes bouncing in the hall. Thankfully, Sans' snoring is louder, which covers up the noise. I take more steps, trying to make my breathing sound quieter, since I realize I'm taking heavy breaths. The tension in the air is stifling, making me lose my nerve. I would have to finish this before it got the best of me.

Even closer. He stands in the shadow of a column, making him look solemn and quiet. I was just a two-and-a-half tile space away from him now. I stop momentarily, trying to sort my thoughts out and quiet my breaths.

"Closer." Chara grins.

I nod, pushing onwards. I couldn't wake Sans, not when I was this close. Chara had promised to help me if I messed up, but I didn't know how she could manage to do that. She was probably just reassuring me, which meant that I had to try my best to avoid any conflict of any sorts. This would have to be perfect.

Only a one-tile space left. I'm almost right up to his face now. His face is peaceful-looking, and there's deep creases under his eyesockets, making him look extremely tired and older. Indeedly, there are drops of sweat on his skull, but they're already starting to dry. My eyes slowly trial down from his forehead down to his teeth. I stare at him a little longer, and I get the sudden urge to lean forward and close the distance between us. The thought confuses me.

Chara motions inside my head. "Go on." She encourages.

I slowly raise my arm, trying not to make any shuffling noises with my clothes. After a moment, the knife is poised above our heads, glinting from the light in the windows. I blink at it, uneasiness filling me. Chara notices my hesitation and growls.

" _Do it._ " She hisses.

I nod quickly. Then I shut my eyes and swing the knife down.

At that exact moment, Sans darts to the side. "Heh, didja really think you would be able-"

My arm suddenly jerks to the left, and I cut him right across the torso, cutting his jacket. But it wasn't me that did it. My eyes widen with shock, and Sans' eyes are just pinpricks. He falls, red stuff coming out of him.

"..." He stares down at himself and back at me. His grin is sheepish, despite the fact that he's dying. "...so… guess that's it, huh?..." He closes his eyes briefly as he slowly picks himself up. "Just… don't say i didn't warn you."

I stare at him in shock, my eyes slowly trailing down to his blood-stained blue jacket. Something... an idea, no, an _image_... suddenly flashes through my mind, and I think I recognize it.

We're in the place covered with snow. I see him giving me his jacket as he grins mischievously. He says something, and I think it's a joke, since I'm laughing. He moves onwards, but then I call after him about something, and he replies back with a funny grin. I can't help staring at him, and I feel myself turning warmer for some reason. Then the jacket gets slipped on. I myself want to turn around and thank him, but all I see are footprints disappearing in the middle of the snow, with no sign of the skeleton. He's gone.

I blink from the memory as I'm startled back into the present, and the now-bloodstained jacket sits before me upon Sans, and I realize that he's dying.

"...Sans?" I whisper hoarsely.

"Welp. i'm going to grillby's."

He walks past me, not seeing me. Just staring at the wall. Just staring at something that's not there.

"...S-sans?" I repeat more nervously this time.

He doesn't hear me. "Papyrus, do you want anything?" I don't turn fast enough.

And all that's left on the ground is a pile of dust.


	18. Memories

I bend down, feeling chilled to the bone.

...Even the statement makes me confused.

But of course, not everything's dust. That's an exaggeration. It's just like Papyrus' scarf; not everything is gone. There's still the blue jacket, laying limp and alone on the ground. I reach forward and lift the fabric up. It feels dusty and grainy in my fingers.

I bring it close to my chest, and I can suddenly sympathize with why Cinder enjoys hugging monster clothes so much. They're warm, and they bring a sense of comfort. I breathe the scent in, and the smell of bones and ketchup reaches my nose.

Then, I'm in a room. The jacket's gone from my hands, and I'm sitting on a stool in a very large room. It looks like a bar; warm and cozy. There's a lot of people chattering together in clumps, but I'm only focused on the skeleton sitting in front of me. It's Sans. I start to breathe a sigh of relief, but I notice his eyes. They're staring at my hand.

I look down and expect to see the knife, but it's not. To my surprise, it's just a harmless bottle of ketchup. I don't understand, and the same confusion is mirrored on Sans' face. He points to it and asks me something, and I shrug sheepishly at him before replying. I can't hear myself. I then watch him take the bottle from me as he chugs down the whole thing. The surprise shows on my face, and he chuckles at my expression.

The world around us changes. I'm standing now, but Sans is still chuckling. The air feels cooler, and there's a telescope next to us. I recognize this as a hall from the Waterfall area. Why were we back here again? I frown in bewilderment, but Sans gestures to the telescope. He wants me to look through it. A little curious myself, I step up and press my eye to the scope. There's glittery rocks in the ceiling. They look like stars.

I move my eye from the scope to look at Sans, but the view changes. The world around me feels warmer; the ground harder. There's a sentry post in front of me, and Sans occupies it. He gives me an amused grin, and I want to tilt my head in confusion, but I can't. I'm holding up a stack of hotdogs on my head. I gape at the silliness of the whole situation, but Sans only reaches up to add another one to the pile. I huff and cross my arms, but stay still for the sake of it. Somehow, it doesn't topple over. It's a miracle in itself.

Sans climbs higher until he disappears out of sight, and then the colors change. I'm sitting again. It looks like a restaurant, but it's just me and Sans this time. Across the table, he beams at me. Then, his grin falters. It turns so small, I can barely see it anymore. I don't like it. I want to see his smile again. I pause when I feel something wet trailing down my cheek.

One last time, the world changes. This one is more sudden, from the cool colors of the restaurant to the bright colors of… the hall. Sans is standing at the end of it, and I start to panick. Will he try to kill me again? He gestures around him as he talks calmly, and I stand and listen, fiddling with my shirt. When I realize he's not here to end me, I grow calmer. His soothing voice is echoing at me. I make a small, hopeful smile.

Then Sans disappears, and I'm left kneeling on the ground, a bloody and dusty jacket pressed up against my chest. I blink a few times, temporarily befuddled. What _was_ that? Those memories didn't belong to me. So… were they _Sans'_ memories? But they were coming from a perspective that didn't belong to him…

Chara's in front of me, staring at me worriedly. She makes a face when I clutch the jacket tighter. "What are you _doing_?" She winces, sounding a little grossed out.

I give her a blank look. "Huh?" I'm still distracted by the images in my head. Chara's words seem to pass right through me.

"That." She points to the jacket. "What are you doing to it? What are you-" She stops suddenly, frowning deeper as her mouth gapes open slightly. "Why are you _crying_?"

What? I'm not crying. But then I notice wet splotches on the jacket in front of me, and I realize that my cheeks are wet as well. I'm actually a little teary-eyed. That doesn't make sense. I hurry to wipe them away. Maybe my eyes were overhydrated. That happens sometimes. "I'm not crying." I mumble indignantly.

"And why are you _hugging_ it?" She asks, squinting an eye at me. "I remember you thinking it was _gross_?"

I think back to my confrontation with Cinder, and I suddenly realize that I can link the graceful moves of Chara to her. Images of her moving around gracefully come into my mind, and I see her dodging bombs, boxes, and swings of a trident. It's so strange, since I've never even _seen_ those attacks before. Who were they coming from? Then, almost like she's noticed me, Cinder turns around and waves. I hesitantly start to wave back, until I see the ribbon girl next to her. She's grinning, and after what seems to be a brief moment of debate with herself, she waves too.

Now I'm confused. The ribbon girl isn't wearing the ribbon now, and she's standing with Cinder in the middle of Snowdin. That doesn't make sense. I've never seen the two meet each other, much less seen the ribbon girl get past the Ruins. Why were they both here together?

I'm drawn out when Chara attempts a poke at my shoulder. "Hey." She growls. "Stop daydreaming. We need to keep moving."

"Keep moving?..." I echo emptily.

"Yes." She says. "Home, remember?"

I blink at her. Home doesn't seem so important now. In fact, it doesn't even seem to be a word anymore. I rub my eyes, finally letting the jacket slip from my hold. Chara grins encouragingly.

"See? Just forget about that skeleton. Soon enough, we're going to make it back."

"Back where?"

Her smile falters for a moment. "Why, home of course. I just said it to you five seconds ago."

"...home." I repeat blankly.

She looks completely bewildered. "C'mon now! You can't have forgotten… we're here to destroy monsters, get stronger, then go back home!"

I stare at her wearily. "Destroy monsters?" I ask blearily.

"Yes, yes." She says quickly, losing her patience. "We've just got two more before we're out of this miserable place. You do want to get out, don't you?"

She stares at me for an answer, but when there's none, her scowl goes deeper. "What? You want to _stay_ here? In this rotten place devoid of life? You can't be serious."

I think on it. "It's only empty because we cleared it."

"Yes, duh." She rolls her eyes. "That was the point."

"But-"

"Look." She demands, pointing down the hall to the exit. "Let's get you out here first. Let's get you _home_ first. Then we can talk about this stuff later, when we're finally free." She starts to beckon me up, making pushing motions.

It takes me a moment to respond, but when I do, the statement surprises myself. " _No._ "

Chara freezes. "Excuse me?"

"No." I repeat boldy.

She narrows her eyes. "How dare you-"

"No, no, no." I'm shaking my head along with the no's, making my hair swing back and forth. It reminds me of someone else. Chara's waiting for me to make some kind of clarification, but I'm already buried back into my thoughts.

It's the boy from the Ruins. He had long hair. I try to think, but I can't remember him ever swinging his head around. Then why had I automatically connected the motion to him? There's a faint memory in the back of my head, but I can't pinpoint it, and the air around me is starting to feel stifling, so I don't try. Maybe I was thinking of the wrong person. Maybe it was the first girl, the one that greeted me with a hug. She was nice. Her hug was familiar; I remember that too. I close my eyes as I recall the warmth, and her voice reminds me of what I once was-

Chara's completely hysterical. "Stop ignoring me!" She hisses, throwing her arms up.

"Wait." I say calmly, bringing my palm up. The motion just makes her scream more angrily. Furious, she pulls at her hair strands. But it's her own fault if she rips herself bald, not mine.

I take a deep breath. Something's out of place. I'm having all these memories that never happened to me. Unless it happened before I fell, but I highly doubted it. They couldn't be foreshadowings, because all the people I had seen were now dead. It had to be something that _already_ happened. It just made me all the more confused.

Chara huffs, staring at me as she watches me put random puzzle pieces together. "Are you done daydreaming now?" She grumbles. "And are you ready to move on?"

I knew Chara was impatient, but I needed to sort this out first. Maybe she could help me. "A few questions first." I propose.

She growls deeper. "Bargaining, huh? That's not like you." Seeing that I won't be changing my mind anytime soon, she settles herself down some. She impatiently taps her fingers on the tiles, but they don't make any noise. "Well then, fine. How many?"

I ponder on it. "One for now."

"And if I answer it, we'll move on?"

"It depends on your answer."

She stares at me with displeasure. "Well then, it depends on your question."

"Okay." I take a deep breath. "What is _Determination_?"

She frowns. "What kind of question is that?"

"Well, you used to always talk about how Determined I was. And…" I pout innocently before adding, "Flowey mentioned it before."

She narrows her eyes at me, gritting her teeth. "That stupid flower." She sighs, shrugging. She doesn't provide an answer, yet.

"Well?" I inquire. "We'll never get a move on if you don't answer the question."

She growls and taps her head, like she's trying to figure out the best answer to give. "Hm…" She mumbles. "I guess… it's the firmness of a purpose. The resolve to change fate."

I squint my eyes at her, trying to figure out what it means. "How did Flowey use it?"

"I thought you said he was lying?" Chara asks, nervously shifting her eyes.

"I know now that he wasn't." I reply. "But his concepts were still wrong. He must've been seeing the foreshadowings, like me. He just didn't know it, and mistakened it for coming back to life."

"Hm." Chara huffs, staring at me.

"So what I'm saying is… I think determination has something to do with these foreshadowings. Am I right? Flowey said something about how our determination was stronger than his, so I'm guessing that… he doesn't have that ability anymore? To foreshadow?"

Chara hesitates before shrugging. "I guess."

"...So I _have_ overlapped his Determination." I blink in astonishment. "So, does the Determination only let me foreshadow? Or does it let me do something else as well?"

She freezes. "What do you have on mind?" She asks slowly.

"I…" I pause a moment. "I'm not entirely sure, but… I was wondering if I could ask you for ideas?"

She narrows her eyes. "Yeah?"

"Well, I saw some things. They don't feel like they've ever happened to me before, but they're really real. So I would assume it's foreshadowing. But at the same time, it's not possible because the memories include people that are already…" I gulp. "Dead. So, is it possible that it's a…" I move my hand in a circular motion, looking for the right words. "Maybe a… _flashback_ instead?"

She stops. "A flashback." She repeats.

"Yeah." I breathe.

"And what were they about?" She asks slowly.

I had tried avoiding that topic altogether, but seeing that the answer would be required to receive help from Chara, I bottle up my courage to speak. "...Sans."

She immediately stiffens up. "And?"

Seeing her uncomfortableness, I attempt to avoid her gaze altogether. "Can we just not talk about what I saw?"

Chara's mouth is tightening into a thin, pressed line. "Fine. But I can't help you with that."

I blink at her posture, her uncertainties. I tilt my head, suddenly unsure myself. The idea suddenly strikes me, and I narrow my brows more tightly together. "Going back in time _is_ impossible, right?"

"Yes." This answer, at least, was snappy.

I narrow my eyes and try to think back to the times where going back in time was ever mentioned. Flowey claims he did it; killing himself before appearing back in the bed of flowers. Now thinking on it, Cinder had talked it about it too. I strain my brain to remember, trying not to let my short-term-memory get in the way now.

"Resetting." I suddenly realize.

Chara looks afraid. "Resetting?" She repeats.

"Yeah! Resetting!" I grin. "I remember now! Right after every foreshadowing, I always get a choice. I can _Continue_ , which gives me another foreshadowing into the future, or _Reset_ , which can give me a flashback!"

"What?" Chara blinks.

"Then I must've accidentally triggered the 'Reset' button while fighting Sans. Somehow." I muse. "But how did I do it?"

"No, wait." Chara stops me. Her expression is a mixture of relief and panic. "Listen, there's no need to… to find the 'Reset', or whatever you're talking about. Let's just keep going forward."

I frown, cocking my head. Maybe I just had to explain it better? "But I need to remember the past!" I insist. "There's something important that I _know_ I'm forgetting. After all, there's no harm to it, right? A flashback will just bring me back momentarily, and when I'm done, we can go right on ahead!"

Chara scowls. "It doesn't _work_ like that. You can't just go back to a forgotten past, relive it, and then come back unscathed. What if there's things you don't want to remember? What if you forgot them for a reason? Digging them back up will just cause more trouble for the both of us. You don't want that, do you?"

I hesitate. Chara may be right, but I still don't want to give up. "But just a little peek?"

She shakes her head quickly. "Once it's done, there's no going back." She looks up at me, pleading. "Don't do it." She warns.

"But…"

" _Please._ "

I clench my fists, determined. "I _have_ to know."

Chara stops. Stares at me. Shakes a little. "Heh." She huffs. "Somehow, I knew we would never make it to the end."

"...Chara?"

She know's there's no changing my mind now, once I'm set on it. "Yeah, just go and do it. No use listening to me, right?" She turns away, and mumbles something under her breath. "And for once, I thought this would be a _real_ partnership."

"Chara, don't be like that." I feel guilty at her words, but I feel like she's planting them in my head on purpose. I don't want her to change my mind now. "We can go right back to our destination, after my questions have been answered. This partnership isn't ruined or anything." What was she so reluctant about, anyway?

She pauses, then turns back. Her eyes are black. "It's too late for that now." She grins, her smile red.

I gasp, startled. A black goo substance is suddenly dripping out her eyes, and she reaches for me, hands phasing into me. In the next moment, she's sucked in.

Almost immediately, I can feel the inner struggle occurring. Someone's trying to take over. I gasp at the feeling, shocked at Chara's actions. The turmoil inside me rises, and I clutch myself to keep myself together. It's like I'm being torn from inside, like I'm being forcefully ripped from my identity. It's so hard to keep going.

"It's because of LOVE." Chara whispers in my head in a sing-song voice. "You've gained so much of it, and now, there's no need for you to resist. Just accept it."

"N-no!" I gasp. "What are you doing? I thought-"

"It doesn't matter now. We're going to end this together, whether you like it or not. I'm not going to let you throw this all away when we're so close."

The feeling in my legs are gone. Chara has them now. The immobile state is slowly spreading upwards, past my hips. It won't be long now before my arms are frozen as well. I gulp, and realize that I have to act quickly. I have to know how to use the Reset button before time runs out. It _has_ to help me out of this situation somehow. It's my last hope.

"Nothing you try will work." Chara hisses delightedly. "Nothing. Just give up."

It's too hard. Because t's not just Chara taking over, but the _panic_ as well. It swarms in me like a beehive, and I can't concentrate. I have to think of a solution to the problem _and_ keep Chara from consuming me. It's too many things on my mind, and too much to keep track of all at once. I'm a goner.

My arms grow still, and I feel the control slipping past me. I can only feel my shoulders and up, but even that's going away. Chara chuckles. "No escaping now."

I sigh a shaky breath. Reset, reset, reset. How do I do it?

I go back to my memories, and remember Sans. He's important in all this, but how? I can't figure it out unless I see those flashbacks, but I can't see them until I get to use the Reset. I shut my eyes in frustration and try to trigger it with my mind. Sans memories. Happy, smiley, contented feelings and memories and... _c'mon_...

 _Reset, reset, reset._

My eyes widen when I suddenly realize; it's not just flashbacking.

It's resetting.

The force inside me stops for a brief disbelieving moment when a yellow button appears before me. Chara screams in rage and tries even harder to take over, but I still have control over my neck.

I bend my head over and give the button a tap with my forehead.

And Chara's screams fade away as the hall is sucked into a black whirlwind of the past.

* * *

 **Alright, back to hiatus's.**

 **But! Not until I give some proper thanks!**

 **This story specifically has been quite a ride! I've been given quite my fair share of complaints, but I think those who've put in positive thoughts make it all worthwhile!**

 **...screw it, I'll just name them. I really want to thank _Mokki Takashi_ for always seeing things on the brighter side and leaving me positive reviews! And _xxApocalypsexx_ , thank you so much! You've really given me some more motivation, and I'm grateful for that. And _madmalitiangamer_... you really know how to leave a review. xD (But seriously, I appreciate it! Humor is good for my healthy :3 ) And lastly, Imma be thanking J. W. Fox, because even though his reviews weren't always to my liking, he's stuck through with me until the end and I congratulate him kindly for bearing with me. ;)**

 **Okay, now for those of you reviewers that are just telling me Frisk is stupid... I GET IT. Now stop. xD**

 **However! If your complaint was about the lack of inactivity from the other souls that fell down, I get that. Once I continue this (in 10,069 years, probably) I will definitely be including those people more, and they will be making more significant impacts. Hopefully. 0_0**

 **Okay! Now I'm almost done. I was just wondering if I should continue on on _this_ story or just go make another sequel. I feel like making a new start, since if it ends up as any good, I don't want it to be tainted by this one. xD Sounds ridiculous, right? But anyway, just curious to see your responses. O.O**

 **Okay okay! I'm done. Barrage me with your comments now. :D (Or don't. That works too.)**


	19. Ta-da

Yep, that was the best hiatus ever.

Dunno if you're even interested anymore, or if you even remember what this story was about. xD But in the special case that you are, I'm just here to announce that that next part's out and started. You can find it on my profile, titled "7 Souls: Save."

And if you're not interested, then… uh. ok, I guess. .-.


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